Ill" 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  HONOUR 


OF  SAVELLI 

*  *  *  <A  9^o  m  an  c  e  *  *  * 

BY 

S.    LEVETT     YEATS 

e^^j^ 


GROSSET     &     DUNLAP 

Publishers      -      New  York 


Copybibht,  1895, 
By  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


PREFACE.  £__  fllSh 


In  writing  this  book  the  Author  has  made  no  effort  to 
point  a  moral ;  all  that  has  been  done  is  an  attempt  to  catch 
the  "  spirit  of  the  true  Komance,"  and  to  amuse.  The 
book  was  partly  written  in  the  intervals  of  work  in  India, 
and  was  completed  during  the  leisure  allowed  by  furlough 
on  medical  certificate.  In  dealing  with  this  period  of  Italian 
history,  in  which  the  story  is  set,  the  Author  would  say  he 
has  taken  Dumas  for  his  model,  but  hopes  that  he  has 
worked  out  his  scheme  on  original  lines ;  and  he  has  used, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  language  in  which  an  Italian  living 
in  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  would  express 
himself.  At  the  time  the  book  was  written  the  Author  had 
not  read  Mr.  Stanley  Weyman's  brilliant  novel,  "  A  Gentle- 
man of  France."  Had  he  done  so  the  style  of  the  present 
book  would  doubtless  have  been  much  improved  from  the 
lessons  taught  by  a  master-hand.  The  Author,  in  bringing 
this  to  the  notice  of  the  reader,  would  humbly  add  that  he 
is  making  no  challenge  to  break  a  lance  with  so  redoubted 
a  knight  as  the  creator  of  Gaston  de  Marsac. 


Vll 


a  rr/;r>orcj 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEF 

t 

PAGB 

I. 

A  Bolt  from  the  Blue 1 

II. 

Ruin 

13 

in. 

Madame  D'Bntrangues  . 

24 

IV. 

A  Fool's  Cap  and  a  Sore  Heart 

33 

v. 

D'Entrangues  Scores  a  Point 

48 

VI. 

Bernabo  Ceci 

58 

VII. 

The  Garden  of  St.  Michael 

69 

VIII. 

Temptation 

83 

IX 

The  Marzocco  Inn  .... 

92 

X. 

Niccolo  Machiavelli 

102 

XL 

The  Letter  to  D'Amboise     . 

114 

XII. 

The  Ambuscade        .... 

128 

XIII. 

Rome 

144 

XIV. 

George  of  Amboise 

155 

XV. 

The  Gift  of  Bayard 

171 

XVI. 

Friend  or  Foe        .... 

183 

XVII. 

The  Vatican 

195 

XVIII. 

The  Opal  Ring       .... 

211 

XIX. 

Exit  the  Ancient  Brico 

223 

XX. 

"  A  Brown  Paul — a  Little  Copper  " 

237 

XXI. 

The  Rescue  of  Angiola 

249 

XXII. 

The  Ride  to  St.  Jerome 

262 

XXIII. 

The  Pavilion  of  Trkmouille 

271 

XXIV. 

Too  dearly  Bought 

280 

XXV. 

The  Vengeance  of  Corte 

292 

XXVI. 

Concerning  many  Tiiings 

301 

XXVII. 

My  Lord,  the  Count 

313 

IX 


PRELUDE. 


He  rydes  untoe  ye  Dragon's  Gate, 

And  blowes  a  ryngynge  calle  : 

A  gallant  Knyghte  in  armoure  bryghte, 

'Twere  sadde  toe  see  him  falle. 

Deare  Sayntes  of  Mercy  Steele  hys  harte, 

And  nerve  hys  arme  withalle ! 

ii. 

Noe  glove  bears  he  uponne  hys  creste, 
And  lettynge  droppe  hys  visor's  barres, 
I  sawe  hys  starke  soule  lookynge  forthe, 
Toe  meete  ye  whysperes  of  ye  starres. 
True  Knyghte  of  God,  whose  arme  is  stronge, 
Whose  harte  is  pure,  whose  lance  is  longe. 

in. 

Lette  wyn,  lette  lose,  belyke  'tis  true, 
Ye  issue  of  ye  daye  will  bee, 
Notte  toe  ye  dreamers ;  butte  toe  those 
Who  stayke  their  alle  on  victorie. 
Notte  to  ye  skiffes  uponne  ye  streames, 
Butte  ye  stronge  shippes  uponne  ye  sea. 

Vanity  Fair,  12th  October,  1893. 


THE  HONOUR  OF  SAYELLI. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A    BOLT    FEOM   THE    BLUE. 

"  I  do  not  drink  with  a  thief  ! " 

D'Entrangues  spoke  in  clear,  distinct  tones,  that  rose 
above  the  hum  of  voices,  and  every  one  caught  the  words. 
In  an  instant  the  room  was  still.  The  laughter  on  all  faces 
died  away,  leaving  them  grave ;  and  twenty  pairs  of  curious 
eyes,  and  twenty  curious  faces  were  turned  towards  us.  It 
was  so  sudden,  so  unexpected,  this  jarring  discord  in  our 
harmony,  that  it  fell  as  if  a  bolt  from  a  mangonel,  or  a  shot 
from  one  of  Messer  Novarro's  new  guns,  had  dropped  in 
amongst  us.  Even  that,  I  take  it,  would  have  caused  less 
surprise,  although  for  the  present  there  was  a  truce  in  the 
land.  Prospero  Colonna  turned  half  round  in  his  seat  and 
looked  at  me.  Our  host  and  commander,  old  Ives  d'Alegres, 
who  was  pouring  himself  out  a  glass  of  white  vernaccia, 
held  the  decanter  in  mid-air,  an  expression  of  blank  amaze- 
ment in  his  blue  eyes.  Even  the  Englishman,  Hawkwood, 
who  sat  next  to  me,  was  startled  out  of  his  habitual  calm. 
Every  eye  was  on  us,  on  me  where  I  sat  dazed,  and  on 
D'Entrangues,  who  was  leaning  back  slightly,  a  forced 
smile  on  his  face,  the  fingers  of  one  hand  playing  with  the 
empty  glass  before  him,  whilst  with  the  other  he  slowly 
twisted  his  long  red  moustache.  I  was  completely  taken 
aback.  Only  that  afternoon  I  parted  from  D'Entrangues, 
apparently  on  the  best  of  terms.     We  had  played  together, 

l 


2  THE   HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  he  had  won  my  crowns.  It  is  true  he  was  not  paid  in 
full  at  the  time ;  but  he  knew  the  word  of  a  Savelli.  On 
leaving,  Madame  D'Entrangues  asked  me  to  join  her  hawk- 
ing party  for  the  morrow,  and  he  urged  the  invitation.  I 
accepted,  and  backed  my  new  peregrine  agaiDst  D'En- 
trangues' old  hawk  Bibbo  for  ten  crowns,  the  best  of  three 
nights,  and  the  wager  was  taken.  Never  indeed  had  I 
known  him  so  cordial.  I  did  not  like  the  man,  but  for  his 
wife's  sake  was  friendly  to  him.  Of  a  truth,  there  were 
few  of  the  youngsters  in  Tremouille's  camp  who  were  not 
in  love  with  her,  and  some  of  us  older  fellows  too,  though 
we  hid  our  feelings  better.  I  was  grateful  to  Madame. 
She  had  been  kind  to  me  after  the  affair  of  San  Miniato, 
when  a  Florentine  pike  somehow  found  its  way  through  my 
breastplate.  Indeed,  I  may  say  I  owed  my  recovery  to  her 
nursing.  In  return,  I  had  been  of  some  service  to  her  in 
the  retreat  up  the  valley  of  the  Taro,  after  Fornovo — she 
called  it  saving  her  life.  In  this  manner  a  friendship  sprang 
up  between  us,  which  was  increased  by  the  opportunities  we 
had  of  meeting  whilst  the  army  lay  inactive  before  Arezzo. 
Long  years  of  camp  life  made  me  fully  appreciate  the  so- 
ciety of  a  woman,  remarkable  alike  for  her  beauty  and  her 
talent ;  and  she,  on  the  other  hand,  felt  for  me,  I  was  sure, 
only  that  friendship  which  it  is  possible  for  a  good  woman 
to  hold  for  a  man  who  is  not  her  husband. 

I  do  not  for  one  moment  mean  to  imply  that  Doris 
D'Entrangues  was  perfection.  I  knew  her  to  be  wayward 
and  rash,  sometimes  foolish  if  you  will ;  but  withal  a  pure 
woman.  I  soon  found  she  was  unhappy,  and  in  time  she 
got  into  a  way  of  confiding  her  troubles  to  me,  and  they 
were  not  a  few,  for  D'Entrangues  was — what  all  men  knew 
him  to  be.  Finding  that  I  could  be  of  help  to  Madame,  I 
avoided  all  difference  with  the  husband,  and  for  her  sake 
was,  as  I  have  said,  friendly  to  him.     Perhaps  my  course  of 


A   BOLT  FROM  THE  BLUE.  3 

action  was  not  prudent ;  but  who  is  there  amongst  us  who 
is  always  guided  by  the  head  ?  At  any  rate,  I  expiated  my 
fault,  and  paid  the  price  of  my  folly  to  the  end  of  the 
measure. 

As  I  sat  in  the  now  silent  supper-room  with  the  man's 
words  buzzing  in  my  ears,  a  curious  recollection  of  a  scene 
that  occurred  about  a  month  ago  came  back  to  me.  Ma- 
dame and  I  had  over-ridden  ourselves  hawking,  and  I  had 
dismounted  at  her  request  and  gathered  for  her  a  posy  of 
yellow  coronilla  and  scarlet  amaryllis.  This,  in  her  quick 
impulsive  way,  she  held  to  her  husband's  face  when  we  met 
him,  a  half-league  or  so  on  our  way  back,  saying,  "  See 
what  lovely  flowers  Di  Savelli  has  given  me  ! "  He  snatched 
them  from  her  hand,  and  flung  them  under  his  horse  with 
an  oath,  adding  something  which  I  did  not  catch.  Ma- 
dame flushed  crimson,  and  the  incident  ended  there,  for  I 
did  not  care  to  press  the  matter. 

It  all  came  back  to  me  now,  in  the  oddest  manner,  as  I 
sat  staring  at  D'Entrangues.  He  had  come  in  late  to  the 
supper,  and,  after  greeting  D'Alegres,  slipped  into  the  seat 
opposite  me  in  silence.  Across  him  two  men  were  discuss- 
ing a  series  of  thefts  that  had  recently  disturbed  us.  They 
were  not  common  thefts,  such  as  are  of  daily  occurrence  in 
a  military  camp ;  but  were  the  work  of  some  one  both  dar- 
ing and  enterprising.  Even  then  the  matter  would  not  have 
attracted  the  attention  it  did  but  for  the  loss  of  a  ruby  circlet 
by  the  Duchesse  de  la  Tremouille,  which,  besides  its  intrinsic 
value,  was  the  gift  of  a  king.  Madame  de  la  Tremouille 
made  an  outcry,  and  the  duke,  as  the  matter  touched  him, 
was  leaving  no  stone  unturned  to  find  the  thief.  It  had 
come  to  be  that  every  robbery  in  the  camp  was  put  down  to 
this  same  light-fingered  gentleman ;  and  Visconti,  one  of 
the  two  men  who  were  discussing  the  question,  was  loudly 
lamenting  the  loss  of  a  rare  medallion  of  which  he  had  just 


4  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

been  relieved.  Throughout  their  conversation  D'Entran- 
gues,  though  once  or  twice  addressed,  spoke  no  word,  but 
maintained  a  moody  silence.  When  the  wine  was  circling 
round  I,  being  warmed,  and  wishing  to  stand  well  with  the 
husband  of  Madame,  made  some  rallying  allusion  to  our 
match  for  the  morrow,  and  offered  to  drink  to  him.  His 
reply  is  known. 

The  silence  which  followed  his  speech  was  so  utter  that 
one  may  have  heard  a  feather  fall ;  and  then  some  one,  I  know 
not  who,  laughed  shortly.  The  sound  brought  me  to  my- 
self, and  in  a  fury,  hardly  knowing  what  I  was  doing,  I 
jumped  up  and  drew  my  dagger,  but  was  instantly  seized  by 
Colonna  and  Hawkwood.  The  latter  was  a  man  of  great 
size,  and  between  him  and  Colonna  I  was  helpless. 

"  Give  him  rope,"  whispered  Hawkwood,  and  his  voice 
was  kind,  "  this  is  not  an  affair  to  be  settled  with  a  poniard 
thrust." 

The  whole  room  was  in  an  uproar  now,  all  crowding 
around  us ;  D'Entrangues  half -risen  from  his  seat,  his  hand 
on  his  sword,  and  I  quivering  in  the  grasp  of  my  kind 
enemies.  Old  Ives  d'Alegres  rushed  forwards,  "  Silence, 
gentlemen !  "  he  called  out,  "  remember  I  command  here. 
Savelli,  give  up  that  dagger  ;  D'Entrangues,  your  sword. 
Now,  gentlemen,  words  have  been  used  which  blood  alone 
cannot  wash  out.  M.  d'Entrangues,  I  await  your  explana- 
tion ! " 

"  Liar !  "  I  shouted  out,  "  you  will  give  it  to  me  at  the 
sword's  point,"  and  big  Hawkwood's  restraining  arms  tight- 
ened over  me. 

"  Thanks,"  replied  D'Entrangues,  "  you  remember  the 
sword  at  last ;  a  moment  before  I  saw  in  your  hands  your 
natural  weapon." 

"  A  truce  to  this,  sirs !  I  await  you,"  interrupted 
D'Alegres. 


A  BOLT  FROM  THE  BLUE.  5 

"  Your  pardon,"  said  D'Entrangues.  "  Gentlemen,  you 
want  an  explanation.  It  is  simple  enough.  We  have  a 
thief  in  our  midst,  and  he  is  there." 

"  A  thief — Di  Savelli !  "  called  out  a  dozen  voices,  and  Ives 
d'Alegres  said,  "  Impossible !  you  are  mad,  D'Entrangues." 

"  No  more  so,  sir,  than  you,  or  any  one  of  us  here.  I 
confess,  though,  I  thought  I  was  mad  when  I  first  knew  of 
it,  for  this  man  has  been  my  comrade,  we  have  fought  side 
by  side,  and  he  has  borne  himself  as  a  gallant  soldier.  I 
thought  I  was  mad,  I  say,  when  I  first  knew  of  this ;  but 
the  proofs  are  too  strong." 

"  What  are  they  ?  "     D'Alegres  spoke  very  shortly. 

"  You  shall  have  them.  You  all  know  there  have  been 
a  series  of  unaccountable  thefts  amongst  us  lately.  The 
duchess's  rubies  have  gone.  Hardly  a  lady  but  has  lost 
some  valuable,  my  wife,  amongst  other  things,  a  bracelet. 
The  thief  did  not  confine  his  attentions  to  the  fair  sex ;  but 
visited  us  men  as  well.  They  were  not  common  thefts. 
From  the  circumstances  attending  them,  the  robber  must 
have  known  us  intimately,  and  had  easy  access  to  our  quar- 
ters. Up  to  now  the  matter  has  been  a  mystery.  A  lot  of 
people  have  been  wrongly  suspected,  and  two  poor  wretches 
are  now  swinging  on  the  gibbet,  condemned  for  nothing 
that  I  know  of." 

"  It  was  done  by  my  orders,  sir,"  said  D'Alegres,  "  the 
matter  is  beside  the  point." 

"I  stand  corrected,  General.  Some  little  time  ago  a 
fortunate  chance  revealed  to  me  who  the  culprit  was.  I 
made  no  sign,  but  set  to  work  until  complete  proofs  were 
in  my  hands." 

"  You  have  said  so  before.  Why  beat  about  the  bush  ? 
If  you  have  proofs,  produce  them  ?  " 

"  A  moment,  sir.  May  I  ask  any  of  you  to  state  what 
your  most  recent  losses  have  been  ?  " 


6  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  My  medallion  by  Cimabue,"  put  in  Visconti  in  bis 
drawling  voice. 

"  Fifty  fat  gold  crowns  in  a  leather  bag,"  grumbled 
Hawkwood,  "  the  residue  of  the  Abbot  Basilio's  ransom. 
God  send  such  another  prize  to  me,  for  I  know  not  how  to 
pay  my  lances." 

There  was  a  little  laugh  at  Hawkwood's  moan,  but  it  soon 
stilled,  and,  one  by  one,  each  man  stated  his  latest  loss. 

"  I  will  add  to  these  Madame's  bracelet,"  said  D'Entran- 
gues,  "  and  shall  not  be  surprised  if  the  duchess  thanks  me 
for  her  rubies  to-morrow." 

"  Tremouille  has  sworn  to  crucify  the  thief  if  he  is 
found." 

"  The  duke  knows  the  value  of  his  gems." 

"  He  ought  to  be  consoled,  for  he  has  a  true  wife  left, 
and,  his  eminence  of  St.  Sabines  tells  me,  such  a  possession 
is  more  precious  than  rubies,"  drawled  Visconti. 

"  Gentlemen,  you  interrupt  M.  D'Entrangues.  Let  us 
end  this  painful  scene." 

"  There  is  but  one  thing  more,  sir.  I  ask  you  now  to 
have  this  " — D'Entrangues  indicated  me  with  an  insolent 
look — "  this  person's  quarters  searched." 

Whilst  he  was  speaking,  D'Alegres  gave  a  whispered 
order  to  a  young  officer,  who  left  the  room  immediately, 
although  with  a  somewhat  discontented  air  at  being  sent 
away.  As  D'Entrangues  finished,  the  door  was  opened,  a 
couple  of  files  of  Swiss  infantry  entered,  and  with  them 
Braccio  Eortebraccio,  our  provost-marshal.  At  a  sign  from 
D'Alegres  one  of  the  files  surrounded  me,  the  other  D'En- 
trangues, and  Braccio  called  out  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Ugo  di 
Savelli,  and  Crepin  D'Entrangues,  I  arrest  you  in  the  king's 
name ! " 

"At  your  service,  provost,"  said  D'Entrangues  with  a 
bow,  "  my  sword  is  already  given  up.     May  I  ask,  sir,"  he 


A  BOLT  PROM  THE  BLUE.  7 

continued,  turning  to  D'Alegres,  "  if  you  will  put  my  proofs 
to  the  test?" 

"  At  once.  Provost,  lead  your  prisoners  to  M.  di  Savelli's 
quarters." 

"  Thank  God ! "  The  expression  burst  from  me,  so 
great  was  my  relief.  I  was  sure  of  being  acquitted,  and 
madame  or  no  madame,  I  should  kill  D'Entrangues  the  fol- 
lowing day,  even  though  I  knew  Tremouille  had  sworn  to 
hang  the  next  man  caught  duelling  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  his  camp.  We  were,  as  I  have  stated,  at  Arezzo,  and  had 
passed  the  winter  there,  in  the  truce  following  the  expulsion 
of  the  Duke  of  Bari  from  Lombardy.  It  had,  however,  be- 
come necessary  to  menace  the  Pope,  who  was  hilt  deep  in 
intrigue  as  well  as  crime,  and  Tremouille  leaving  Monsignore 
d'Amboise  in  Milan,  marched  south,  and  with  the  aid  of  our 
Florentine  allies,  held  the  Borgia  and  Spain  in  check.  Act- 
ing under  the  advice  of  Trevulzio,  Ives  d'Alegres,  and  others, 
the  duke  had  not  entered  the  town ;  but  kept  us  in  camp 
near  Giove,  outside  the  walls.  The  gates  of  the  city  and 
the  citadel  were,  however,  at  the  same  time  strongly  garri- 
soned, and  Trevulzio  held  command  within.  It  was  all  the 
more  urgent  to  keep  the  main  body  of  the  troops  outside 
the  walls,  as  they  were  composed,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  French  regiments,  mainly  of  mercenaries,  and  by  hold- 
iug  the  town  with  picked  men,  upon  whom  he  could  rely, 
Tremouille  would  be  able,  in  case  of  any  change  of  front  on 
the  part  of  his  mercenaries,  to  have  them  between  two  fires. 
Ives  d'Alegres,  who  then  acted  as  lieutenant-general  to  the 
duke,  was  immediately  in  command  of  the  canrp,  and  had 
fixed  his  headquarters  in  a  large  villa,  the  property  of  the 
Accolti,  and  it  was  here  that  the  supper,  which  ended  so 
disastrously  for  me,  was  given.  My  own  quarters  were  but 
a  bow-shot  or  two  away,  in  the  direction  of  the  town.  When 
we    reached  them,  I  was    surprised  to   find  at  the   door, 


8  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

my  servant  Tarbes  in  the  hands  of  two  of  the  marshal's 
men,  a  half  troop  of  French  lancers  drawn  up  before  my 
tent,  and  my  own  small  condotta  of  ten  lances,  which  I  had 
raised  for  the  war  by  pawning  my  last  acre,  all  under  guard. 
As  if  any  attempt  at  rescue  were  possible  !  I  saw  in  a  mo- 
ment that  this  accounted  for  D'Entrangues'  late  arrival  at 
the  supper  :  but  entered  the  tent  sure  of  the  results.  A  dozen 
blazing  torches  threw  a  clear  enough  light,  and  D'Alegres 
briefly  requested  the  provost  to  begin  the  search.  The  prac- 
tised hands  of  the  field  police  did  this  very  effectually,  but 
to  no  purpose,  and  I  felt  that  the  faces  of  all  were  looking 
friendly  towards  me.  D'Entrangues  seemed  nervous,  and 
his  sallow  cheek  was  pale. 

"  Send  for  Tarbes,"  he  said,  and  at  a  word  from  the  pro- 
vost my  knave  was  led  in.  This  man  was  a  Spaniard,  whom 
I  had  taken  into  my  service,  some  little  while  ago,  on  the 
recommendation  of  D'Entrangues.  Except  on  one  occa- 
sion when  he  lost,  or  maybe  stole,  a  pair  of  silver  spurs,  for 
which  I  cuffed  him  roundly,  he  had  served  me  well.  At  the 
present  moment  he  seemed  overcome  with  fear,  trembled  in 
every  limb,  and  refused  to  look  at  me. 

"  Signor  Tarbes,"  said  the  provost,  "  do  you  know  what 
the  wheel  is  ?  " 

The  man  made  no  answer,  and  Braccio  went  on — 

"  Signor  Tarbes,  we  want  a  little  information  which  I 
am  persuaded  you  possess.  If  you  give  it  freely,  we  will  be 
merciful ;  if  you  prevaricate,  if  you  attempt  to  conceal  any- 
thing, we  will  do  to  you  what  we  did  to  the  death  hunters 
after  San  Miniato — you  remember  ?  " 

"  Speak  freely,  Tarbes.     There  is  no  fear,"  I  added. 

"  Even  your  master,  the  excellent  cavaliere,  advises  you, 
and  I  must  say  advises  you  well,"  continued  Braccio.  "  Sig- 
nor Tarbes,  you  will  now  show  us,"  and  he  rubbed  his  hands 
together  softly,  "  where  the  valiant  knight,  Ugo  di  Savelli, 


A  BOLT  FROM  THE  BLUE.  9 

keeps  his  prizes  of  war,  the  spoils  of  his  bow  and  spear — I 
was  going  to  say  fin " 

"  Have  a  care,  sir,"  said  D'Alegres  sternly,  "  you  are 
here  to  do  your  duty,  not  to  play  the  jester."  Braccio 
shrank  back  at  his  look,  and  the  general  turned  to  Tarbes, 
"  In  brief,  we  want  to  know,  if  your  master,  M.  di  Savelli, 
has  any  concealed  property  here  ?  Will  you  answer  at  once, 
or  do  you  prefer  to  be  put  to  the  question?" 

"  I  will  speak — say  anything,  my  lord — only  have 
mercy.  I  swear  what  I  say  is  true.  His  excellency,  my 
master,  has  nothing  beyond  what  you  have  seen — and  what 
lies  in  the  leather  valise  under  this  rug." 

Now  this  rug  in  question  lay  flat  on  the  turf,  on  which 
my  tent  stood,  and  at  the  time  of  the  search  D'Alegres  and 
others  were  standing  on  it.  Owing  to  this,  and  to  the 
crowded  state  of  the  tent,  it  had  hitherto  escaped  the  atten- 
tion, which  it  would  doubtless  have  received  sooner  or  later, 
for  nothing  ever  passed  Braccio's  eyes.  In  a  moment  the 
rug  was  swept  aside,  and,  as  the  torches  were  held  to  the 
turf,  it  was  evident  that  it  had  been  dug  away  and  then  re- 
placed somewhat  carelessly. 

Braccio  was  in  his  element. 

"Po«//"he  exclaimed,  "a  clumsy  amateur  after  all! 
I  thought  better  of  his  valour.  Here !  give  me  a  pike ! 
And  hold  the  torches  so  !  " 

With  a  sharp  point  of  the  pike  he  quickly  cleared  away 
the  turf,  and,  stooping  down,  lifted  up  from  the  hole  he 
exposed,  a  small  brown  valise,  which  had  been  concealed 
in  the  earth.  The  interest  was  now  intense.  Every  one 
crowded  round  Braccio.  Even  the  vigilance  of  the  guards 
over  me  completely  relaxed.  I  felt  a  touch  on  my  shoulder, 
and,  looking  back,  saw  Hawkwood. 

"  Would  you  like  to  go  ?  "  he  whispered  rapidly.  "  My 
horse  is  ready  saddled — you  know  where  to  find  him." 


10  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

I  thanked  him  with  a  look  ;  but  shook  my  head,  and  the 
giant  fell  back. 

"  Shall  I  break  it  open,  excellency  ?  "  and  Braccio  held 
the  bag  out  to  D'Alegres. 

"  My  master  has  the  key,"  put  in  Tarbes ;  "  I  know  no 
more." 

"  I — the  key  ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  Villain,  the  bag  is  not 
mine ! " 

"  It  bears  your  arms,  however ; "  Braccio  pointed  to  a 
little  metal  plate  on  which  they  were  distinctly  engraved. 

"  You  must,  I  am  afraid,  submit  to  the  further  indignity 
of  being  searched,"  said  D'Alegres. 

There  was  no  hope  in  resistance  and  I  endured  this. 
Braccio  himself  searched  me,  and  almost  as  soon  as  he  be- 
gan, pulled  from  an  inner  pocket  of  my  vest  a  small  key, 
attached  to  a  fine  gold  chain. 

"  Here  is  the  noble  knight's  key,"  he  exclaimed,  "  and 
see ;  it  fits  exactly ! "  He  turned  it  in  the  lock,  opened 
the  valise,  and  emptied  the  contents  out  on  a  rough  camp 
table.  A  low  murmur  went  up,  for  amongst  the  small  heap 
of  articles  was  Hawkwood's  leather  bag,  and  madame's 
bracelet,  whilst  something  rolled  a  little  on  one  side,  and 
fell  off  softly  to  the  turf.  A  soldier  picked  it  up,  and 
placed  it  face  upwards  on  the  table — the  lost  medallion. 

One  by  one  D'Alegres  held  up  the  articles  sadly,  and  I 
looked  round  in  my  agony  on  the  faces  of  those  who  but  an 
hour  ago  were  my  friends.  They  had  all  shrunk  back  from 
me,  and  I  was  alone  within  the  circle  of  the  guards.  D'En- 
trangues  stood  with  folded  arms,  and  a  smile  on  his  lips, 
and  Tarbes  glanced  from  side  to  side,  like  an  ape  seeking 
chance  for  escape.  I  looked  towards  Hawkwood,  but  even 
his  face  was  hard  and  set. 

"  I  do  not  see  the  duchess'  rubies  here,"  said  D'Alegres. 

"  I  am  prepared  to  produce  them  to-morrow,"  replied 


A  BOLT  FROM  THE  BLUE.  11 

D'Entrangues ;  "  in  the  meantime,  I  trust  you  have  suffi- 
cient proof  ?  " 

"  Give  M.  d'Entrangues  his  sword.  You  need  not  fight 
this  man,"  D'Alegres  added,  pointing  to  me,  "  even  if  he 
challenges  you.  Were  you  a  French  subject,"  he  said  to 
me,  "  I  would  hang  you  in  your  boots ;  as  it  is  I  will  submit 
the  case  to  the  duke.  D'Entrangues,  I  hold  you  to  your 
word  about  the  rubies.  Provost,  see  that  your  prisoner  is 
carefully  guarded.  You  will  answer  for  him  with  your 
life." 

"  Prisoner,  your  excellency  !     There  are  two." 

"  I  have  restored  M.  d'Entrangues  his  sword." 

"There  is  still  another,"  and  the  provost  pointed  to 
Tarbes. 

"  Pah  !  "  exclaimed  D'Alegres,  "  hang  him  out  of  hand 
—come,  gentlemen ! " 

One  by  one  they  went  out.  Not  another  look  did  they 
give  me.  I  heard  the  tread  of  feet,  and  the  sound  of 
voices  in  eager  conversation,  dying  out  in  the  distance.  I 
stood  as  in  a  dream.  Tarbes  had  been  dragged  away 
speechless,  and  half  fainting.  When  he  was  outside  he 
found  voice,  and  I  heard  him  alternately  cursing  D'Ale- 
gres, and  D'Entrangues  and  screaming  for  mercy.  Braccio 
touched  me  on  the  arm. 

"  Come,  signore,"  he  said,  "  you,  at  any  rate,  have  a  few 
hours  left." 


CHAPTER  II. 

RUIN. 

I  started  at  the  man's  words,  and  my  rage  and  despair 
may  be  imagined,  when  I  saw  that  he  proposed  to  bind  me, 
a  noble,  like  any  thief !  From  this  I  hoped  to  escape  by 
bringing  on  death,  and,  on  a  sudden,  hit  the  guard  next  to 
me  on  the  face,  with  all  my  force.  Down  he  went  like  an 
ox,  and  I  made  a  rush  to  the  tent  door,  little  doubting  that 
I  should  be  cut  down,  and  put  out  of  my  misery.  But  they 
were  too  quick.  I  was  one,  and  they  were  many.  In  a 
hand  turn  I  was  tripped  up,  my  wrists  securely  fastened 
behind  my  back,  and  any  further  resistance  on  my  part 
impossible.  The  man  whom  I  felled,  scrambled  up,  and 
attempted  to  brain  me  with  the  butt  of  his  pike  as  I  went 
down ;  but  Braccio  struck  him  senseless  with  the  hilt  of 
his  sword,  and  this  time  he  lay  in  a  huddled  heap,  quiet 
enough. 

I  besought  Braccio  to  give  me  my  parole,  swearing  on 
the  faith  of  a  gentleman,  on  the  honour  of  a  Savelli,  that  I 
would  not  attempt  escape,  and  would  go  with  him  quietly, 
if  I  were  but  free  from  the  ignominy  of  the  cords  that 
bound  me. 

"  Shut  the  cage  door,  keep  your  bird,"  he  laughed  bru- 
tally, "  I  have  to  answer  for  you  to-morrow,  and  I  weigh  the 
faith  of  a  gentleman,  and  the  honour — God  save  the  mark 
—of  a  Savelli,  as  tliat"  he  snapped  his  fingers,  "  when  it 


RUIN.  13 

comes  to  a  consideration  of  Braccio  Fortebraccio's  head. 
So  your  knighthood  must  even  go  as  you  are,  with  my  love- 
knots  on  you.  Here,  two  of  you,  take  charge  of  this  tent, 
and  see  after  Arnulf  there — I  never  thought  his  skull  so 
thin — march  ! " 

And  in  this  manner  was  I  led  out,  two  men  in  front  of 
me,  two  behind,  one  on  either  hand,  all  with  their  weapons 
ready,  whilst  the  provost  himself  brought  up  the  rear,  with 
his  drawn  sword  in  one  hand  and  a  lighted  torch  in  the 
other.  Not  that  light  was  needed,  for  the  moon  had  risen, 
and  was  in  its  full.  I  believe,  however,  that  Braccio  held 
the  torch,  so  that  the  additional  light  might  the  more 
clearly  show  who  his  prisoner  was,  and  I  hung  down  my 
head  as,  with  quick  steps,  we  marched  to  the  military 
prison. 

"  Qui  vive  la"  the  challenge  rang  out  crisply,  and  on 
the  instant  the  provost  replied,  "  France  and  Tremouille." 

"  Pass  on,"  and  the  sentry,  one  of  Bucicault's  arquebu- 
siers,  looked  at  us  curiously  as  we  went  by.  And  now,  to 
add  to  my  shame,  we  met,  face  to  face,  a  group  of  late  rev- 
ellers returning  to  the  camp. 

"  Diable  !  "  called  out  a  gay  voice,  "  our  respectable  pro- 
vost is  at  work  I  see.     What  have  you  got  there,  Braccio  ?  " 

I  shuddered,  for  I  recognised  Bellegarde,  a  young  noble 
of  the  Franche  Compte,  who  had  come  to  seek  glory  in  the 
Italian  war. 

"  Close  up,  men — another  of  my  strayed  lambs  brought 
back  to  the  fold,  Viscompte — pardon  me — it  is  late,  and  I 
must  hurry  on." 

But  Bellegarde  was  merry  with  wine.  "  Not  till  you 
have  drunk  our  health,"  he  laughed,  barring  the  way  with 
his  drawn  rapier,  as  he  added,  "  Lowenthal  here  has  a  skin 
of  wine  from  the  Bhineland,  have  a  pull  at  it,  man,  and  let 
us  see  the  prisoner." 


14  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"Blitzen  !  Der  brisoner  first,  he  will  hang  pefore  der 
herr  brovost,"  and  the  half-drunk  Lanzkneeht  thrust  his 
wine-skin  towards  me. 

"  Gentlemen — gentlemen  !  have  you  a  care  !  See  here, 
Viscompte,"  and  Braccio  whispered  to  Bellegarde. 

"  My  God  ! "  said  the  latter ;  and  then  hastily,  "  Come 
on,  Lowenthal !     Let  them  go." 

"  Let  der  brisoner  drink.  Would  you  debrife  a  boor 
man  of  his  liquor?"  replied  Lowenthal,  and  to  hide  my 
face,  I  seized  the  skin,  and  raised  it  to  my  lips.  Even 
Braccio  held  the  torch  away,  and  Von  Lowenthal  failed  to 
recognise  me  in  the  half-light.  My  throat  was  red-hot 
with  thirst,  and  sick  as  I  was  with  shame,  I  drank  greedily, 
and  handed  the  wine-skin  back  to  the  German. 

"Blitzen  !  "  he  said,  giving  it  a  shake,  "  you  drink  like 
an  honest  man.  Now,  herr  brovost,  a  health  to  Germany, 
in  honest  German  wine.  What !  No  !  Then  drink  to  del- 
imiter, man,  and  Lowenthal  will  knight  you,"  swaying  to 
and  fro,  he  attempted  to  draw  his  sword. 

Matters  were  at  a  crisis,  for  Braccio  was  not  to  be  trifled 
with  any  longer.  At  this  juncture,  Bellegarde  and  the  oth- 
ers with  him  again  intervened,  and  dragged  Von  Lowenthal 
away.  The  provost  instantly  pressed  forwards  with  a  hur- 
ried good-night.  We  did  not  go  so  fast,  however,  as  not  to 
perceive,  from  the  noises  behind  us,  that  the  Lanzkneeht 
had  subsided  to  earth,  and  was  apparently  abandoned  there, 
with  his  wine-skin,  by  his  companions.  The  sound  of  his 
voice,  engaged  in  a  drunken  monologue,  reached  us. 

"  Der  rascal  Braccio,  der  knight  of  der  noose  und  halter. 

I  will  gif  him  der  accolade.    I "    But  we  lost  the  rest  as 

we  hurried  on,  the  guards  smiling  to  themselves,  and  Brac- 
cio very  ill-tempered. 

In  a  few  paces  we  passed  D'Alegres'  headquarters,  and 
through  an  open  window,  I  saw  half-a-dozen  of  my  late 


RUIN.  15 

companions  playing  at  dice,  and  heard  TTawkwood's  bass 
calling  the  mains.  A  few  steps  more  brought  us  to  our 
point,  a  fortified  wing  of  the  Villa  Accolti  itself,  and  Brac- 
cio,  thrusting  me  into  a  strong  room,  turned  the  key  of  the 
door,  and  with  a  gruff  order,  which  I  did  not  catch,  walked 
away.  Now,  indeed,  was  I  in  a  distressful  state,  and  the 
agony  of  my  mind  so  great,  that  I  heeded  not  the  pain  of 
the  cords,  but  paced  up  and  down  like  any  caged  animal. 
I  fully  recognised  that  I  was  the  victim  of  a  deeply  laid 
plot  on  the  part  of  D'Entrangues,  and  saw  clearly  that  I 
was  completely  in  his  hands.  It  was  a  stroke  of  genius  on 
his  part,  not  to  interfere  in  any  way  to  save  his  creature, 
the  wretched  Tarbes.  That  hasty  order  of  D'Alegres  had 
removed  the  only  danger  of  his  scheme  being  laid  bare.  I 
tried  to  think  out  some  plan  of  action  ;  but  to  no  purpose, 
for  my  mind  was  altogether  confused  and  bewildered,  and  I 
was  incapable  of  thought.  The  room  in  which  I  was  con- 
fined was  bare  of  all  furniture,  not  even  a  camp-stool. 
There  was  only  one  window,  and  that,  iron-grated,  was  set 
high  up,  near  the  ceiling.  The  moonlight  straggled  through 
the  grating  in  long  white  ribbons,  and  dimly  showed  up  the 
walls  around  me.  Hour  after  hour  passed  away.  I  could 
hear  the  occasional  barking  of  dogs,  the  distant  cries  of  the 
sentinels  as  they  called  to  one  another,  and  the  sound  of 
the  guard  being  relieved  at  my  door.  Then  the  moon  sank 
and  the  morning  came.  From  sheer  weariness  I  threw  my- 
self on  the  floor,  and  fell  into  a  troubled  sleep,  from  which 
I  was  aroused  by  the  cords  biting  into  my  flesh.  This,  and 
the  constrained  position  in  which  my  arms  were  held,  gave 
me  torture.  I  attempted  by  shouting  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  sentinel  over  me  ;  but  though  I  heard  the  clod 
tramping  up  and  down,  I  received  no  answer. 

At  length,  about  the  sixth  hour,  I  made  another  effort  to 
get  some  one  to  hear  me.     I  fortunately  chose  a  moment 


16  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

when  the  guards  were  being  visited.  After  a  short  discus- 
sion outside,  an  under-officer  entered  the  cell.  I  begged 
him  to  free  me  from  the  cords,  pointing  out  that  escape 
was  impossible,  swearing  that  I  would  not  attempt  it,  and 
ended  by  offering  him  five  crowns  for  the  good  office.  He 
hesitated  at  first,  but  either  pity  for  my  condition,  or  the 
bait  of  the  crowns  moved  the  man,  for  he  freed  me  with  a 
touch  of  his  dagger,  and  for  another  five  crowns  I  obtained 
from  him  the  promise  of  procuring  for  me  a  change  of 
attire  from  my  tent.  I  had,  hidden  in  a  belt,  worn  under 
my  shirt,  thirty  crowns,  and  this  I  reached  with  some  diffi- 
culty, owing  to  the  stiffness  of  my  arms,  and  paid  him  the 
money.  I  specially  begged  he  would  get  for  me  a  pair  of 
Spanish  leather  boots,  that  were  lying  in  my  quarters,  for 
the  sole  of  one  of  my  contigie  had  come  off  during  the 
struggle  of  last  night.  The  honest  fellow  promised  to  do 
his  best,  and  shortly  returned  with  the  articles  I  wanted, 
and  in  addition  brought  me  some  food  and  a  cup  of  wine, 
for  which  he  refused  all  payment,  saying  that  I  had  treated 
him  generously  enough.  To  eat  was  out  of  the  question, 
but  the  wine  was  grateful,  and,  after  drinking  it,  I  devoted 
myself  to  putting  my  attire  in  order.  And  here  I  may 
mention  an  odd  circumstance,  to  wit,  that  my  gold  cross  of 
St.  Lazare,  which  I  wore  pinned  to  my  breast  at  the  supper, 
had  by  some  chance  remained  intact,  despite  the  struggle  I 
had  gone  through,  and  was  still  hanging  in  its  place  by  a 
shred  of  the  ribbon.  I  carefully  unfastened  it,  and  placed 
it  for  security  in  my  belt.  To  me  it  seemed  an  omen  of 
fortune,  this  lost  little  tag  of  honour  which  clung  to  me.  I 
succeeded  indifferently  well  in  arranging  my  dress,  and  so 
passed  a  full  hour.  Heavens!  when  I  recall  that  night, 
although  more  was  to  befall  me,  I  do  not  think  I  ever  en- 
dured such  misery ;  nor  has  the  noiseless  file  of  time  ever 
been  able  to  eradicate  the  memory  of  those  hours. 


RUIN.  17 

At  about  noon  Braccio  entered  the  cell.  He  raged  be- 
yond measure  at  finding  me  loosed  of  my  bonds,  and  insisted 
at  first  on  securing  me  again.  I  shrewdly  suspected,  how- 
ever, that  Messer  Braccio  was  a  trifle  afraid  of  the  conse- 
quences of  his  violence  the  night  before,  and  that  his 
furious  language  was  in  this  case  but  bluster.  I  showed  a 
bold  front  therefore,  and  the  under-officer  putting  in  a  word 
for  me,  the  provost  gave  in  with  apparent  reluctance.  He 
informed  me  that  my  affair  was  to  be  dealt  with  by  the 
duke  in  person,  and  that  I  should  make  ready  to  go  with 
him.  I  replied  that  I  was  prepared  to  go  at  once,  and  with- 
out more  ado  was  escorted  to  the  main  building  of  the  villa. 
I  could  see  that  a  considerable  crowd  was  collected,  and 
from  the  litters  and  riding-horses  that  were  being  led  to 
and  fro,  perceived  that  some  ladies  had  heard  the  news,  and 
were  come  to  gratify  their  curiosity  at  my  expense,  and  see 
such  trial  as  I  was  to  undergo.  I  was  led  into  the  great 
hall,  which  was  full  of  people,  and  in  the  gallery  above  the 
dais  saw,  amongst  other  ladies,  the  Duchesse  de  la  Tre- 
mouille,  and  by  her  side  Madame  d'Entrangues.  The  latter 
kept  her  eyes  down,  and  fanned  herself  with  a  fan  of  pea- 
cock feathers,  which,  even  at  that  moment,  I  was  able  to 
recognise  as  my  gift.  On  the  dais  was  a  table  with  seats 
set  about  it,  which  were  as  yet  empty.  At  the  steps  of  the 
dais  stood  D'Entrangues,  and  beside  him  a  small  man 
cloaked  in  a  sad-coloured  mantle,  with  a  keen,  cleanly- 
shaven  face,  and  watchful  eyes.  He  held  in  his  hand  a 
small  packet,  and  surveyed  me  with  no  little  interest. 
D'Entrangues  did  not  meet  my  look,  and  his  hang-dog  face 
was  turned  towards  the  doorway  immediately  opposite  to 
him.  In  a  moment  or  so  that  door  was  opened,  and  the 
duke  entered,  talking  earnestly  with  a  cavalier  of  a  most 
gracious  and  distinguished  presence.  Tremouille  himself 
was  a  small,  slightly-built  man,  of  features  in  no  way  re- 


18  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

markable ;  but  redeemed  in  some  part  by  the  alert  intelli- 
gence of  his  glance.  In  early  life  he  had  met  with  an  acci- 
dent which  left  him  lame  ever  after.  Yet  he  was  a  good 
horseman  and  of  a  constitution  that  nothing  could  tire.  As 
for  his  companion,  his  face  was  then  strange  to  me;  but 
in  after  times  when  I  was  admitted  to  his  intimacy  and 
honoured  with  his  friendship,  I  came  to  know  him  as  great 
beyond  all  men ;  and  this  I  do  not  say  in  gratitude  for  the 
debt  I  owe  him ;  but  simply  to  add  my  humble  testimony  to 
that  of  others,  his  companions-in-arms,  and  equals  in  station, 
who  with  one  consent  allow  him  to  be  the  glory  of  his  age, 
and  of  knighthood.  Immediately  behind  Tremouille  came 
D'Alegres  and  Trevulzio,  who  had  raised  himself  to  his 
present  high  position,  and  was  a  most  capable  soldier. 
These  four  took  their  seats  at  the  table,  and  the  numerous 
and  brilliant  staff  of  officers  who  accompanied  them  ranged 
themselves  behind.  From  the  manner  in  which  the  stran- 
ger took  his  seat,  I  gathered,  and  I  was  not  mistaken,  that 
he  was  there  as  one  of  my  judges,  and  for  the  moment  I 
wondered  who  he  was.  That  he  was  of  the  highest  rank 
was  clear  from  his  aspect  and  bearing,  and  from  the  fact 
that  he  wore  round  his  neck  the  collar  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  proceedings  of  this  public  court-martial  began  at  once. 
It  is  needless  to  set  them  down  in  full  detail.  D'Entrangues 
stated  his  case,  D'Alegres  briefly  set  forth  the  action  taken 
by  him,  and  Visconti  and  Hawkwood  testified  to  having 
found  their  property  in  my  possession,  under  the  circum- 
stances already  explained.  I  will  do  them  the  justice  to 
say  that  they  did  so  with  evident  and  genuine  reluctance. 
Tremouille,  who  had  doubtless  heard  all  this  before,  listened 
patiently  to  the  end,  and  then  asked  me  what  I  had  to  say. 
What  could  I  say  ?  I  looked  at  the  faces  around  me  and 
saw  no  sympathy.  I  looked  up  at  the  gallery  where  the 
ladies  sat,  and  caught  a  whisper : 


RUIN.  19 

"  I  do  not  care — I  know  it  is  false ;  he  is  not 
guilty." 

The  words  gave  me  courage.  The  charge  was  false.  As 
false  as  hell.  Then  I  found  tongue.  I  asked  if  it  were 
possible  that  I,  a  noble,  whose  career  had  hitherto  been 
blameless,  could  have  suddenly  become  so  vile  as  to  sink  to 
common  theft?  I  pointed  out  my  long  years  of  service, 
and  called  D'Alegres  and  Trevulzio,  under  whose  banners  I 
had  served,  to  witness  if  they  had  ever  known  me  sully  my 
honour. 

"  It  is  known,  M.  di  Savelli,  that  you  are  hard  put  for 
money,"  said  Tremouille. 

I  admitted  the  fact,  and  also  admitted  that  at  the  time  I 
stood  there  I  owed  money  lost  at  play ;  but  that  the  sum 
did  not  amount  to  more  than  fifty  crowns,  and  there  was 
twice  that  amount  due  to  me  from  the  military  chest.  I 
then  went  on  to  point  out  how  unlikely  it  was  that,  even  if 
I  had  stolen  the  jewels,  I  should  have  hoarded  them  up  and 
not  turned  them  into  money,  for  which  I  allowed  I  was 
pressed,  and  wound  up  by  saying  I  was  the  victim  of  a  con- 
spiracy, and  that  I  was  prepared  to  assert  my  honour,  man 
to  man,  against  D'Entrangues,  or  any  other  who  would  take 
up  his  cause. 

"  What  say  you,  my  lord  of  Bayard  ? "  and  Tremouille 
turned  to  the  stranger  who  sat  beside  him.  Even  whilst 
waiting  for  his  answer,  and  on  the  cross  with  anxiety  as  I 
was,  I  could  not  help  looking  with  the  greatest  interest  at 
the  man.  This  then  was  the  celebrated  Pierre  du  Terrail, 
the  noblest  knight  in  Christendom.  Vague  rumours  that 
he  was  about  to  join  the  army  of  Tremouille,  with  a  high 
command,  had  reached  us.  But  we  had  merely  looked  upon 
them  as  rumours.  And  now  he  had  come,  apparently  sud- 
denly, and  without  warning.  I  felt  sure  that  he  brought 
war  with  him,  but  had  no  more  time  to  think,  for  he  an- 


20  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

swered — "  A  fair  offer — M.  d'Entrangues  can  do  no  less 
than  accept." 

But  Trevulzio  then  cut  in,  pointing  out,  that  practically 
the  case  was  proved.  That  to  allow  me  the  ordeal  by  com- 
bat would  upset  all  the  course  of  military  discipline,  under 
which  he  thought  the  matter  should  be  decided.  Even  if 
the  ordeal  of  battle  was  allowed,  and  I  won,  it  would  not 
prove  my  innocence  in  the  face  of  the  damning  evidence 
against  me. 

"  If  there  is  any  shadow  of  doubt,  your  excellency," 
and  D'Entrangues  advanced  to  the  table,  "  this  will  clear 
it  up.  Messer  Vieri,  kindly  hand  that  package  to  the 
dnke." 

The  man  whom  he  addressed,  who  was  no  other  than  he 
whom  I  had  remarked,  on  entering  the  justice  room  as 
D'Entrangues'  companion,  stepped  forward  and  placed  the 
packet  before  Tremouille,  who  opened  it  amidst  a  dead 
silence. 

"Messer  Vieri,  how  did  you  obtain  this?"  asked  Tre- 
mouille. 

"  The  matter  is  simple,  excellency,"  replied  the  banker, 
"  but  first  may  I  ask  if  madame  the  duchess  recognises  the 
trinket?" 

The  circlet  was  handed  to  the  duchess,  who  said  in  a 
low  voice — 

"  It  is  mine :  it  was  stolen  from  me  a  month  ago — on 
the  seventh  of  March." 

"  On  the  eighth  of  March  a  packet  was  delivered  to  me 
at  my  house  of  business  by  one  Tarbes,  calling  himself  serv- 
ant to  the  Cavaliere  di  Savelli.  He  did  not  know  the  con- 
tents of  the  parcel ;  but  it  was  sent  to  me  for  safe  keeping 
by  his  master,  so  he  said.  I  gave  him  a  receipt  for  it.  I 
myself  did  not  know  what  the  nature  of  the  packet  was  un- 
til to-day;  but  hearing  the  charges  preferred  against  the 


RUIN.  21 

cavaliere,  I  opened  the  case  and  at  once  recognised  madame's 
circlet,  which  I  have  the  pleasure  to  restore." 

"  How  did  you  come  to  hear  these  charges  against  the 
Cavaliere  di  Savelli  ?  "  asked  Bayard. 

"  I  was  informed  of  them  by  the  knight,  Messer  d'En- 
trangues." 

"  That  is  to  say,  M.  d'Entrangues  must  have  known  that 
the  jewels  were  pledged  to  you.     Is  this  not  odd  ?  " 

It  was  a  straw  of  hope  that  floated  to  me,  and  I  could 
scarcely  breathe.  D'Entrangues,  however,  replied  boldly, 
"  I  was  told  of  the  matter  by  one  Tarbes,  a  servant  to  M.  di 
Savelli." 

"  You  forget  to  add,"  I  burst  out,  "  that  he  was  a  crea- 
ture of  yours,  whom  I  employed  on  your  recommendation." 

D'Entrangues  made  no  reply,  and  Bayard  said,  "  M. 
d'Entrangues  appears  to  have  usurped  the  functions  of  the 
provost  and  played  catchpole.  Could  we  not  see  this  Tar- 
bes?" 

"  Call  Tarbes,"  said  the  duke. 

Braccio  came  forward  and  explained  that  he  had  been 
dealt  with  summarily,  under  the  orders  of  the  lieutenant- 
general. 

"  Mine  ! "  said  D'Alegres  in  astonishment. 

"  Yes,  excellency,  he  was  the  prisoner  whom  your  excel- 
lency ordered  me  to  hang  last  night." 

"  A  pity,"  remarked  the  duke,  and  Trevulzio,  between 
whom  and  D'Alegres  there  was  little  love,  smiled. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  nothing  to  say  to  this?"  said  Tre- 
mouille  to  me. 

"  I  was  not  in  the  camp  on  the  seventh." 

"  Where  were  you  ?  " 

But  this  question  I  could  not  answer  for  I  caught  Ma- 
dame d'Entrangues'  eye  imploring  me  to  silence.  I  looked 
back  at  the  duke,  and  as  I  did  so  felt  that  Bayard  had  fol- 


22  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

lowed  my  glance,  and  that  his  eyes  were  resting  on  ma- 
dame's  face.  He  glanced  down  almost  as  soon  as  I  did  and 
turned  to  me,  and  there  was  a  grave  encouragement  in  his 
look  from  which  I  took  heart.  To  me  it  was  a  great  thing 
to  show  I  was  not  at  or  near  the  camp  on  the  seventh ;  and 
yet  if  I  did  so  I  would  ruin  a  woman's  name.  It  had  been 
a  harmless  frolic,  I  swear  this,  as  I  know  I  will  come  to 
judgment  before  a  higher  tribunal  than  that  of  man ;  and 
yet  had  I  spoken  there  would  have  been  but  one  construc- 
tion. I  hated  D'Entrangues,  too,  and  this  would  have 
struck  at  a  vital  part.  For  a  second  I  hesitated,  and  looked 
up  once  more  at  madame.     She  was  pale  as  death. 

I  looked  at  Bayard,  and  his  glance  seemed  to  penetrate 
my  thoughts. 

"  I  cannot  say  ! " 

There  was  a  sound  of  a  gasping  sigh,  and  a  heavy  fall. 
The  peacock  fan  fluttered  slowly  down  from  the  gallery  to 
my  feet,  and  lay  there  with  its  hundred  eyes  staring  at  me. 

"  This  ruins  you,"  exclaimed  D'Alegres. 

"  Think  again  before  you  reply,"  said  the  duke :  "  I  will 
give  you  time." 

"  I  thank  your  excellency ;  but  I  have  no  further  an- 
swer." 

Tremouille  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  a  disappointed 
air,  and  dropped  his  chin  between  his  clasped  hands,  his 
elbows  resting  on  the  table,  a  favourite  position  of  his. 
Whilst  he  was  thus  considering,  Bayard  was  whispering 
earnestly  to  Trevulzio,  and  the  old  soldier  seemed  to  assent, 
and  his  hard  face  almost  softened  as  he  looked  at  me. 
They  then  turned  their  gaze  on  D'Entrangues,  and  Trevul- 
zio,  with  a  shake  of  his  head,  noted  something  briefly  on  a 
slip  of  paper  and  passed  it  on  to  D'Alegres.  The  lieuten- 
ant-general looked  surprised ;  but  after  a  moment  nodded 
assent,  and  in  his  turn  passed  the  paper  on  to  the  duke, 


RUIN.  23 

saying  "  I  agree."  Tremouille  read  the  paper  slowly,  and 
then  they  oonsulted  together  in  low  tones. 

And  now,  in  a  few  brief  words  I  heard  my  sentence,  and 
it  was  carried  out  at  once.  Braccio  himself  hacked  off  my 
spurs,  my  sword  was  brought  in  and  solemnly  broken,  and 
I  was  warned  to  leave  the  camp  within  an  hour,  on  pain  of 
being  hanged  as  a  thief.  Such  property  as  I  had  was  declared 
confiscate,  and  the  men  of  my  condotta  were  to  be  enrolled, 
by  force  if  necessary,  under  another  banner.  How  I  went 
through  it  all  I  do  not  know.  I  cannot  say  how  I  passed 
down  that  great  hall  with  the  eyes  of  all  fixed  on  me,  a 
dishonoured  man,  an  outcast,  and  a  leper.  One  thing, 
however,  did  happen.  Whilst  the  sentence  was  being  car- 
ried out,  Tremouille  sat  apparently  absorbed  in  thought. 
When  the  provost  broke  my  sword  he  rose  to  leave  the 
room,  and  as  he  passed  D'Entrangues  the  duke  stopped. 

"  Monsieur,"  he  said,  "  you  have  mistaken  your  vocation. 
His  majesty  does  not  desire  his  officers  to  be  thief-hunters. 
For  such  talents  as  yours  you  will  doubtless  find  room  else- 
where, and  I  have  to  tell  you  that  the  king — my  master — 
«egrets  he  has  no  further  need  of  your  services." 


CHAPTER  III. 

MADAME    D'ENTKANGUES. 

When  I  left  the  door  of  the  justice  room  I  had  to  pass 
through  the  main  court-yard,  and  run  the  gauntlet  of  open 
scorn  and  contempt,  bestowed  upon  me  by  all  assembled 
there.  It  was  a  great  thing  for  them,  for  those  whom  the 
French  call  canaille — we  have  no  such  appropriate  word  in 
our  own  tongue — to  see  a  noble  dragged  in  the  dust  and 
covered  with  infamy.  And  they  did  not  spare  me,  taunt 
and  jeer  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth.  Some  even  would 
have  gone  so  far  as  to  strike  at  me,  had  not  their  officers 
prevented  them. 

"  Ah,  Croque-mort !  "  exclaimed  an  arquebusier,  "  you 
should  hang;"  but  the  man  stepped  back  a  half -pace  at 
my  look,  and,  gaining  the  outer  gate,  I  pressed  on,  hardly 
knowing  whither  my  steps  led  me.  I  soon  found  out  I  was 
going  in  the  direction  of  Arezzo  itself,  and  as  that  was  as 
good  as  any  other  place  for  me  at  present,  I  made  no  altera- 
tion in  my  course  ;  but  anxious  to  get  on  as  fast  as  possible, 
quickened  my  pace  almost  to  a  run,  until  I  was  tired  out, 
and  perforce  compelled  to  go  slower. 

This  happened  when  I  had  covered  about  a  mile,  and 
was  beginning  the  ascent  leading  to  the  town ;  and  here  I 
heard  behind  me  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  looking 
back  beheld  a  party  riding  in  my  direction.  I  turned  aside, 
and,  concealing  myself  behind  the  stem  of  a  locust  tree, 

24 


MADAME  D'ENTRANGUES.  25 

waited  until  the  riders  should  pass.  This  they  did  in  a  few 
moments,  and  I  saw  it  was  Tremouille  and  his  staff  return- 
ing to  the  town.  By  the  side  of  the  duchess,  who  was 
riding  with  her  husband,  was  Bayard,  mounted  on  a  bay 
English  horse,  which  he  managed  with  infinite  grace  and 
dexterity. 

Madame  de  la  Tremouille  was  in  the  best  of  humours, 
most  probably  at  the  recovery  of  her  circlet,  for  she  was 
laughing  gaily  as  she  said  something ;  but  they  went  by  too 
rapidly  for  me  to  catch  the  words.  I  waited  until  the 
troop  was  lost  in  the  yellow  dust  which  rose  behind  them, 
and  then,  stepping  forth  from  my  hiding-place,  became 
aware  that  I  was  not  alone ;  but  that  a  body  was  hanging 
from  a  branch  of  the  tree  close  to  where  I  was  standing, 
and  this  I  had  not  noticed  in  my  eagerness  to  escape  ob- 
servation. It  needed  but  a  glance  to  recognise  Tarbes,  my 
scoundrel,  who  had  paid  so  long  a  price  for  his  treachery ; 
he  was  swinging  there  dead  enough,  overreached  and  de- 
stroyed by  the  master-villain. 

The  sight  of  my  dead  knave  brought  up  an  angry  wave 
of  hatred  in  my  heart  towards  D'Entrangues,  and  I  prayed 
that  I  might  not  die  until  I  was  even  with  hirn.  So  great 
was  the  uprising  of  my  anger,  that  at  the  time  I  bitterly 
regretted  not  having  seized  the  opportunity  to  wound  him, 
by  plainly  answering  Tremouille's  last  question.  With  my 
rage  against  D'Entrangues,  there  came  an  almost  similar 
feeling  towards  Madame,  and  I  began  to  accuse  her  in  my 
heart  of  being  the  original  cause  of  my  misfortunes,  and  of 
conspiring,  by  her  silence,  to  set  the  seal  of  my  ruin.  I  did 
not  stop  to  think  that  I  was  ruined  already,  and  that  it 
mattered  little  whether  Madame  allowed  me  to  be  silent  or 
not.  I  only  felt  that  she  had  made  me  pay  too  great  a 
price  for  her  reputation,  and  that  she  had  sacrificed  me 
mercilessly. 


26  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

When  I  hastened  from  the  scene  of  my  condemnation,  I 
had  no  other  idea  but  of  death,  of  self-destruction  rather 
than  life  as  it  would  be  now  to  me ;  but  I  put  aside  all 
these  thoughts  for  I  had  to  live  for  revenge.  That  would 
be  my  first  object,  and  until  it  was  achieved  I  would  not 
rest.  With  this  in  my  mind  I  gained  the  St.  Clement  Gate 
of  Arezzo,  passing  through  without  notice. 

Walking  down  the  Via  San  Dominico,  I  turned  to  the 
right  by  the  Borgo  di  San  Vito,  and  here  I  was  recognised 
and  hooted.  Pressing  hurriedly  forwards,  and  aided  oppor- 
tunely by  the  passage  of  a  body  of  men-at-arms,  coming; 
through  the  street  in  a  direction  opposite  to  that  of  my  fol- 
lowers, I  succeeded  in  shaking  off  my  tormentors,  and  turn- 
ing again  to  the  right  up  a  narrow  street,  entered  a  barber's 
shop  to  have  my  beard  removed  in  order  to  disguise  myself 
as  far  as  possible.  The  barber,  a  fussy  little  fellow,  placed 
me  before  a  mirror  of  polished  steel,  and  as  he  set  to  work 
stropping  a  razor  on  the  palm  of  his  hand,  I  removed  my 
cap,  and  for  the  first  time  observed  that  the  hair  of  my  head 
was  thickly  streaked  with  grey. 

"  Your  excellency  has  doubtless  come  to  join  the  army," 
said  the  barber  in  a  tone  of  inquiry  as  he  drew  his  razor 
across  my  face. 

"  Ah,  yes,  yes ;  I  have  just  come,"  I  replied,  and  the 
little  man  went  on — 

"  There  have  been  great  doings  to-day.  'Tis  said  the 
duke  has  ordered  the  Count  di  Savelh  to  be  executed  for 
having  in  his  possession  a  favour  of  Madame.  They  say  the 
count  stole  it,  but  we  know  better,  don't  we,  your  excellen- 
cy ?  "  and  the  little  fool  chuckled  to  himself.  He  went  on 
without  waiting  for  an  answer.  "  Ah,  yes ;  the  ladies  can 
never  resist  us  soldiers.  I  may  tell  you  that  I  served  with 
Don  Carlo  Baglioni,  and  can  bear  my  pike — there  now,  I 
think  that  side  is  clean  shaven — as  I  was  saying  before,  it 


MADAME   D'ENTRANGUES.  27 

was  hard  on  the  Marquis  di  Savelli,  a  gallant  noble  whom  I 
frequently  saw — pardon,  your  excellency,  it  is  but  a  scratch 
after  all — had  you  not  moved  so  suddenly,  still  only  a  scratch, 
nothing  for  a  soldier.  The  Marquis  di  Savelli,  as  I  said,  was 
a  regular  customer  of  mine,  and  he  had  a  lovely  head  of 
hair,  your  excellency.  It  was  not  so  much  before  I  took 
him  in  hand.  Ecco  !  but  in  a  month  you  should  have  seen  ! 
He  came  in  here  in  his  free  easy  way,  and  flung  me  ten 
crowns.  '  Buy  a  ribbon  for  Madonna  Giulia  with  that, 
Messer  Pazzi,'  says  he  ;  ( and  harkee,  send  me  over  six  more 
Dottles  of  your  elixir  of  St.  Symmachus.  Maldetto  !  '  he 
exclaimed,  twisting  his  curls  between  his  fingers,  'but  she 
adores  me  now.'  Now  who,  I  say,  could  site  have  been  but 
— tchick  ?  Diavolo  ?  it  is  done  ;  never  a  cleaner  shave  in 
Eome  itself.  If  your  excellency's  fortune  grows  as  well  as 
your  hair,  I  could  wish  you  no  better  luck." 

I  rose  in  silence,  and,  flinging  him  a  crown,  bade  him 
pay  himself,  and  receiving  my  change,  hurried  out,  declin- 
ing all  Messer  Pazzi's  entreaties  to  bear  with  me  a  bottle  of 
liis  precious  elixir  of  St.  Symmachus  or  any  other  accursed 
balsam.  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  removal  of  my  beard 
caused  a  considerable  alteration  in  my  appearance,  and 
imagined  if  I  could  but  change  my  attire,  my  most  intimate 
friends  would  not  know  me  unless  they  observed  closely ; 
and  even  then  might  perhaps  fail  to  recognise  me.  This 
view,  as  it  turned  out,  was  not  quite  correct,  and  I  had  yet 
to  learn  how  difficult  a  thing  it  is  to  arrange  a  complete 
disguise. 

A  few  doors  further  on  I  laid  out  some  of  my  money  in 
the  purchase  of  a  stout  leather  buff  coat,  along  dark  mantle, 
and  a  cap  to  match.  The  cap  was  ornamented  with  a  sin- 
gle black  feather;  and  when  I  had  donned  these  garment* 
I  felt  that,  wrapped  in  the  cloak,  with  the  cap  pulled  well 
over  my  eyes,  and  the  feather  standing  defiantly  out  to  the 


28  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

side,  that  I  wanted  but  a  fathom  of  sword  to  make  myself 
as  ruffianly-looking  a  bravo  as  ever  trod  the  purlieus  of  Na- 
ples or  Borne.  But  the  sword  was  some  difficulty,  for  my 
crowns  had  dwindled  to  sixteen.  Fortunately  I  had  on  my 
linger  a  sapphire  ring,  and  this  I  pledged  for  twenty  crowns, 
and  made  my  way  to  the  armourer's.  I  there  selected  a 
long  straight  weapon,  with  a  plain  cross  handle  and  a  cut- 
ting blade,  such  as  would  be  useful  for  rough  work,  and, 
after  some  haggling,  got  it  for  ten  pieces.  The  armourer 
assured  me  that  it  was  a  sound  blade,  and  I  may  say  it  did 
me  good  service.  It  now  hangs  in  my  bed-chamber,  a  little 
chipped,  it  is  true,  but  as  bright  and  as  fit  for  use  as  the  day 
I  paid  for  it,  with  a  heavy  heart,  in  Don  Piero's  shop,  near 
the  gate  of  St.  Lawrence  in  Arezzo. 

I  began  now  to  feel  the  want  of  food,  for  beyond  the  cup 
of  Chianti  brought  to  me  by  the  under-officer  I  had  tasted 
nothing  since  yesterday  evening,  and  therefore  stepping  into 
an  ordinary  called  for  a  flagon  of  wine  and  a  pasty.  Whilst 
engaged  in  assaulting  these,  half-a-dozen  men,  whom  I  rec- 
ognised as  belonging  to  the  garrison,  entered  the  hostel,  but 
to  my  joy  I  saw  I  was  not  known  to  them,  and  after  a  casual 
glance  at  me  they  fell  to  eating  their  meal. 

I  was  however  perforce  compelled  to  listen  to  their  con- 
versation, which  was  carried  on  in  the  loud  tone  meu  of 
their  class  affect,  and  found  to  my  annoyance  that  they  were 
discussing  me,  and  the  events  of  the  day.  In  order  to  escape 
this  I  was  about  to  rise,  when  I  heard  one  of  them  mention 
D'Entrangues'  name,  and  stopped  to  listen. 

"  He  has  left  for  Florence,  and,  it  is  said,  intends  to  offer 
his  sword  to  the  Signory,"  said  one. 

"  And  the  other  ?  "  " 

"  Heaven  knows  !  Perhaps  Braccio's  arm  has  reached 
him,  poor  devil ! " 

"  Well,  he  was  a  good  soldier  and  a  stout  lance." 


MADAME  D'ENTRANGUES.  29 

"  Basta  !  "  said  the  first  speaker.  "  What  does  a  little 
lightness  of  finger  matter  ?  Play  it  in  a  small  way,  you're  a 
thief,  and  food  for  Messer  Braccio,  curse  him  !  Play  it  on 
a  big  scale  and  you're  a  prince.  I  for  one  don't  think  the 
less  of  Di  Savelli  because  perhaps  his  hand  at  cards  was  al- 
ways too  good,  and  he  made  that  little  error  in  the  matter 
of  the  rubies.  A  gentleman  is  sometimes  driven  to  hard 
straits.  I  was  a  gentleman  once  and  ought  to  know.  I 
give  you  a  toast — Here's  to  a  long  sword  and  a  light 
hand  ! " 

They  drank  with  acclamation,  and  then  set  to  a-dicing. 
I  had  however  heard  enough,  and  settling  my  account  with 
the  host,  stepped  forth  into  the  street,  intending  to  depart 
from  the  town  by  the  Porta  San  Spirito  or  Roman  Gate, 
leaving  the  camp  over  my  shoulder,  and  to  make  my  way 
to  Florence  as  soon  as  possible.  There  I  would  meet  D'En- 
trangues,  and  kill  him  like  a  mad  dog.  I  ground  my  teeth 
with  rage  when  I  thought  I  had  no  horse,  nor  even  the 
means  to  purchase  one,  and  must  trudge  it  like  any  conta- 
dino.  But  if  I  had  to  crawl  on  my  hands  and  knees,  I  was 
determined  to  reach  Florence  and  D'Entrangues. 

It  was  however  not  yet  sundown,  and  my  idea  was  to 
leave  the  city  when  it  was  well  dusk  to  avoid  all  possible 
chance  of  recognition.  I  meant  to  have  passed  the  interval 
in  the  inn ;  but,  as  I  felt  this  was  impossible,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  find  another  spot  where  I  could  lay  in  quiet.  With 
this  end  in  view  I  crossed  the  Piazza  di  Popolo  in  an  east- 
^  erly  direction,  and  went  on  until  I  came  to  the  Franciscan 
church,  into  which  I  entered,  not,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  with 
any  desire  for  devotion,  but  merely  because  I  was  less  likely 
to  be  disturbed  there  than  anywhere  else  I  could  imagine. 
I  was  right,  in  so  far  that  on  entering  the  church  I  found 
it,  as  I  thought,  empty,  but  on  looking  round  I  saw  beneath 
the  newly-completed  wheel-window,  the  work  of  Guillaume 


30  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

de  Marseille,  a  kneeling  figure,  apparently  absorbed  in  prayer. 
I  had  approached  quite  close  before  I  became  aware  that  I 
was  not  alone,  and  was  about  to  turn  away,  when,  perhaps 
startled  by  the  sound  of  my  footfalls  on  the  marble  pave- 
ment, the  person  rose  hurriedly  and  looked  towards  me.  It 
was  Madame  D'Entrangues.  Her  glance  met  mine  for  a 
second  as  that  of  a  stranger,  but  as  I  was  moving  away 
some  trick  of  gesture,  or  perhaps  the  hot  anger  in  my  eyes, 
told  her  who  I  was,  for,  calling  my  name,  she  came  towards 
me  with  outstretched  hands. 

"  Di  Savelli,"  she  said,  for  I  made  no  advance,  "  do  you 
not  know  me?" 

"  Madame,"  I  bowed,  "  I  am  unfit  to  touch  you." 

"  No,  no — a  thousand  times  no !  It  is  I  who  am  un- 
worthy." 

I  still  remained  silent,  and  she  asked  with  a  passionate 
emphasis — 

"  Man,  have  you  never  sinned  ?  " 

The  words  struck  me  like  a  shot.  I  felt  in  a  moment  I 
had  no  right  to  stand  in  judgment. 

"  God  knows,"  I  replied,  "  I  have,  and  I  have  been  pun- 
ished." 

With  that  she  took  hold  of  my  hand,  and  then  suddenly 
burst  into  tears,  weeping  over  me  with  words  I  cannot  re- 
peat. It  was  not  for  me  to  fling  reproaches,  and  I  softened 
and  did  what  I  could  to  appease  her. 

"I  could  not  help  it,"  she  said,  "I  was  not  strong 
enough  to  speak  or  to  let  you  speak.  Oh,  you  do  not  know 
what  such  a  thing  is  to  a  woman !  " 

"  Let  it  pass,  madame.     What  is  dead  is  dead." 

"  I  cannot.  And  yet,  what  can  I  do  ?  "  Her  tears  be- 
gan afresh. 

In  a  little  time  she  grew  better,  and  I  seized  the  oppor- 
tunity to  point  out  the  danger  she  ran  of  being  seen  speak- 


MADAME  D'ENTRANGUES.  31 

ing  to  me,  and  suggested  that  she  should  make  her  way 
home.  It  was  impossible  to  escort  her  myself,  but  I  would 
walk  a  little  way  behind,  keep  her  in  sight,  and  see  she 
came  to  no  harm.  I  urged  this  all  the  more  as  I  saw  it  was 
growing  late,  and  that  she  was  without  any  attendants  and 
far  from  the  camp. 

"  You  mistake,"  she  said  ;  "  I  have  not  far  to  go.  In 
fact  I  am  at  present  the  guest  of  the  convent  here." 

"And "     I   did   not   finish   the   sentence,  but    she 

understood.  I  had  forced  myself  to  ask,  to  hear,  if  pos- 
sible, confirmation  of  D'Entrangues'  movements. 

"  He,"  she  answered—"  he  has  left  the  army  and  gone 
towards  Florence." 

"  And  you  ?  " 

"  I  stay  here  for  the  present." 

Her  tone  more  than  her  words  convinced  me  that  she 
had  been  abandoned  by  D'Entrangues,  and  it  added  an- 
other mark  to  my  score  against  him. 

"  Why  should  I  not  tell  you  ?  "  she  continued.  "  After, 
when  it  was  all  over,  the  duke  struck  his  name  off  the  army, 
and  he  left  in  an  hour.  Before  he  went,  he  came  and  told 
me  all,  laughing  at  your  ruin.  I  did  not  know  man  could 
be  so  vile.  God  help  me — it  is  my  husband  I  speak  of! 
He  offered  to  take  me  with  him,  but  I  refused ;  and  he  left, 
mocking  like  a  devil,  with  words  I  cannot  repeat.  He  was 
not  done  with  you  or  with  me,  he  said,  as  he  went.  I  came 
here  at  once,  and  perhaps  when  Madame  de  la  Tremouille 
returns  to  France,  I  shall  be  enabled  to  go  with  her  in  her 
train." 

"  Excuse  my  asking  it,"  I  said,  "  but  have  you ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  smiled  sadly,  "  it  is  not  that  in  any  way." 

At  this  moment  I  looked  up  and  saw  that  it  was  sunset. 
Through  the  wheel-window  the  orange  beams  streamed  in 
a  long  banner,  and  lit  up  the  figure  of  the  saint  above  us. 


32  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVBLLI. 

The  rays  fell  on  madame's  pale  face,  and  touched  with  fire 
the  gold  of  her  hair.  We  stood  before  each  other  in  a  dead 
silence. 

"  Good-bye,"  I  said,  extending  my  hand. 

She  placed  her  own  in  it  and  our  eyes  met. 

It  was  a  moment  of  danger  to  both.  Leper  as  I  was,  I 
had  but  to  lift  my  hand,  but  to  say  a  word,  and  here  was 
one  who  would  have  followed  me  like  a  dog.  I  felt  her 
weakness  in  her  look,  in  the  touch  of  her  hand,  which  shiv- 
ered as  it  lay  in  mine  like  a  captive  bird.  At  once  a  fire 
leapt  up  within  me.  I  had  lost  all — everything.  Why  not 
throw  revenge  after  my  losses,  and  with  her  by  my  side  seek 
a  new  fortune  with  a  new  name  ?  The  grand  Turk  needed 
soldiers,  and  what  mattered  it  whether  it  was  cross  or  cres- 
cent that  I  served  ? 

But  the  woman  became  strong  as  I  grew  weak. 

"  Go  ! "  she  said  faintly. 

I  dropped  her  hand,  and,  turning  without  a  word,  strode 
down  the  aisle.  As  I  reached  the  church  door  the  bells  of 
the  Angelus  rang  out,  and  yielding  to  a  sudden  impulse  I 
looked  back. 

Madame  was  on  her  knees  before  the  saint. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
a  fool's  cap  and  a  sore  heart. 

I  was  not  so  dense  as  to  fail  to  grasp  the  extent  of  the 
peril  I  had  escaped,  or  to  fully  realise  the  evil  strength  of 
the  temptation,  which  came  upon  me  as  suddenly  as  a 
sneeze.  It  is  rare  in  matters  of  this  kind  for  wicked 
thoughts  to  be  of  slow  growth ;  they  spring  at  once  to  life, 
full-armed.  I  thanked  God  in  my  heart  that  I  was  able  to 
sweep  aside  the  base  desire,  which  covered  my  soul  like  a 
black  cloud,  and  refrained  from  taking  advantage  of  ma- 
dame's  momentary  weakness.  I  could  not  but  see  I  was  to 
blame  myself. 

I,  the  elder  and  the  stronger,  should  have  foreseen  the 
probable  consequences  of  a  friendship  such  as  ours,  and  my 
sorrow  for  her  was  mixed  with  the  deepest  regret  for  my 
part  in  the  transaction.  I  banished  all  idea  of  attacking 
D'Entrangues  through  his  wife,  wondering  at  the  littleness 
of  spirit  which  had  ever  conceived  such  a  thought.  If  it 
were  possible,  I  would  have  kicked 'myself.  Perhaps  such 
victory  as  I  gained  over  my  heart  was  due  to  the  secret 
springs  of  my  vanity  being  touched,  to  the  fear  of  the  loss 
of  my  self-respect,  and  this  mingling  with  my  pity  and 
regret,  gave  me  the  strength  to  Avin  at  the  moment  of 
temptation.  It  is  difficult  to  tell ;  I  have  lived  long  enough 
in  the  world  to  know  that  the  mysteries  of  the  heart  will 
remain  veiled  to  the  end.  Occasionally  we  may  lift  the 
curtain  a  little,  but  more  no  man  has  done. 

33 


34  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

What  had  happened,  however,  explained  clearly  to  me 
the  motive  for  D'Entrangues'  conduct.  He,  at  any  rate, 
must  have  seen,  long  before  either  of  us,  how  affairs  stood 
with  the  wife  whose  life  he  embittered ;  but  he  made  no 
effort  to  save  her,  contenting  himself  with  striking  an  assas- 
sin's blow,  which  had  taken  from  him  the  last  shred  of 
respect  madame  may  have  felt  for  him,  and  which  had  in 
part  recoiled  on  his  own  head.  Be  this  as  it  may,  his  stroke 
was  successful,  in  that  to  all  intents  and  purposes  it  had 
utterly  blasted  me.  I  was  worse  than  dead.  It  was  no 
ordinary  revenge.  In  those  troublous  times,  a  blow  from  a 
dagger  could  have  easily  rid  him  of  a  wife  of  whom  he  was 
sick,  or  a  man  whom  he  hated,  and  no  one  would  have 
thrown  the  matter  in  his  teeth.  But  with  devilish  cruelty, 
he  inflicted  wounds  which  could  never  heal,  and  left  his 
victims  to  live.  It  was  impossible  to  hit  such  a  man  back, 
in  a  way  to  make  him  feel  to  the  utmost  extent  the  agony 
he  had  administered ;  the  only  thing  was  to  take  from  him 
his  worthless  life :  this  he  doubtless  valued  most  of  all 
things,  and  I  meant  to  deprive  him  of  it,  if  he  stood  at  the 
altar  of  Christ.  Moved  by  such  thoughts,  and  with  my 
cloak  drawn  well  over  the  lower  part  of  my  face,  I  hastened 
towards  the  Soman  Gate,  reaching  it  just  as  it  was  to  be 
closed  for  the  night.  In  fact,  as  I  passed  out,  the  huge 
doors  came  together  behind  me  with  a  groaning,  and  at  the 
same  time  I  heard  the  dull  boom  of  the  evening  gun  from 
the  camp,  followed  immediately  by  the  distant  peals  of  the 
trumpets  of  the  cavalry  brigade. 

The  sun  had  now  set,  and  night  came  apace ;  a  grey 
haze  enveloped  the  town  behind  me ;  above,  in  the  deep 
violet  of  the  sky,  a  few  stars  were  shining,  soon  to  be 
dimmed  by  the  rising  moon ;  from  the  east  a  bank  of 
clouds  was  rapidly  approaching,  the  advance  guard  of  a 
storm  from  the  Adriatic.     To  the  west,  there  was  still  light 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      35 

enough  to  see  the  Chiana,  lying  like  a  silver  thread,  flung 
carelessly  to  earth  in  long  folds,  and  the  rugged  outlines  of 
the  roadless  Chianti  hills  stood  up  in  fantastic  shapes 
against  the  horizon.  South-east  was  the  peak  of  Monte 
Eavulto  ;  due  west,  beyond  Bucine,  Mount  Luco  was  yet 
visible.  I  halted  for  a  moment,  hesitating  what  course  to 
take  ;  whether  to  cross  the  swamps  of  the  Chiana  valley, 
and  make  my  way  over  the  Ambra  to  Montevarchi,  and  on 
to  Florence  ;  or  to  skirt  the  camp,  cross  the  Arno  at  one  of 
the  fords  between  Laterine  and  Giove,  and  go  on  through 
the  Prato  Magno. 

As  the  crow  flies,  Florence  was  but  a  few  leagues  dis- 
tant ;  but  I  obviously  would  have  to  journey  by  side-paths, 
over  hill  and  across  valley  to  avoid  observation,  and  this 
would  occupy  at  least  two  days,  unless  my  travels  were 
permanently  stopped  by  my  being  cut  off  by  a  privateering 
party  from  the  camp,  or  by  any  other  untoward  accident. 
Neither  contingency  was  unlikely,  for  the  writ  of  the  king 
ran  barely  a  league  from  the  army,  and  the  country  was  full 
of  banditti.  In  fact,  for  a  half-pistole  one  might  have  had 
a  priest's  throat  cut.  I  decided  on  the  former  route.  So 
muffling  myself  well  in  my  cloak,  for  the  wind  blew  chill, 
with  my  sword  resting  in  the  loop  of  my  arm,  I  set  forward 
at  a  round  pace,  and  avoiding  the  camp,  directed  my  steps 
towards  Bucine.  As  far  as  Chiani  I  knew  the  road.  Be- 
yond that  there  was  nothing  but  quagmire  and  swamp; 
still  I  had  little  doubt  of  finding  my  way  by  the  moon, 
which  would  soon  show,  and  if,  perchance,  I  fell  in  witli 
nighthawks,  well  then,  there  was  little  to  be  gained  from 
me  but  hard  knocks ;  and  it  would  be  an  opportunity  to 
test  the  temper  of  the  blade  I  had  purchased  from  Don 
Piero,  the  armourer. 

In  this  mind  I  pressed  on,  intending  to  lie  at  Bucine 
for  the  night,  or,  if  no  better  accommodation  offered,  to 


36  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

sleep  as  a  soldier  should,  wrapped  in  my  cloak,  with  the 
sky  for  a  roof.  As  I  went  on,  I  found  I  was  relying  a  little 
too  much  on  my  knowledge  of  the  road,  and  a  blue  mist, 
which  rose  from  the  ground,  made  it  impossible  to  pick  my 
way  by  landmarks.  Stumbling  along,  I  took  a  good  two 
hours  to  do  what  should  have  been  done  in  one,  and,  by  the 
time  I  reached  Chiani,  began  to  think  it  would  be  well  to 
reconsider  my  decision  in  regard  to  making  Bucine  that 
night.  It  was  then  that  I  suddenly  remembered  that 
Chiani  was  held  by  a  piquet  of  Swiss  infantry,  and  any 
attempt  to  enter  would  be  impossible,  as  the  gates  were 
doubtless  shut.  I  was  a  little  put  out,  for  had  I  only  rec- 
ollected the  fact  before,  I  might  have  been  saved  the  extra 
mile  or  so  of  hard  work  I  had  to  reach  within  a  few  yards 
of  Chiani,  merely  for  the  pleasure  of  turning  back.  The 
moon,  come  out  by  this  time,  shone  fitfully  through  the 
bank  of  clouds,  which  was  shifting  uneasily  overhead,  and 
the  wind,  rising  steadily,  marked  rain.  I  stirred  myself  all 
the  faster,  for  I  was  in  no  mind  to  add  a  wetting  to  my 
misfortunes,  and  a  drop  or  two  of  rain  that  caught  me, 
showed  I  had  but  little  leisure  to  lose.  I  made  out  a  nar- 
row cattle  track,  and  hurried  along  this ;  but  before  I  cov- 
ered a  mile  the  moon  was  obscured,  and  the  wind  dropped. 
It  now  began  to  rain,  and  the  darkness  was  so  thick,  that 
I  could  only  just  follow  the  road.  Soon  the  track  died 
away  into  nothing,  and  I  found  myself  floundering,  over 
my  ankles  in  mud,  and  up  to  the  waist  in  wet  rushes.  At 
any  moment  I  might  strike  a  quicksand,  with  which  these 
marshes  abound,  so  I  used  my  sword  as  a  search-pole,  step- 
ping only  where  I  found  foot-hold,  a  dozen  inches  or  so 
below  the  surface  of  the  bog.  In  this  perplexity,  imagine 
my  relief  to  see  the  blaze  of  a  fire  shoot  up  beyond  a  small 
rising  ground  before  me,  and  throw  an  arc  of  light  into  the 
darkness,  against  which  the  falling  rain  glittered  like  fine 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      37 

wires  of  silver.  I  shouted  aloud  and  to  my  joy  got  an 
answer. 

"  Who  is  there  ?    What  is  the  matter  ?  " 

"  A  traveller,"  I  replied,  "  who  has  lost  his  way  in  this 
cursed  swamp.  Whoever  you  are,  you  will  make  a  friend 
and  find  a  reward  if  you  lead  me  out  of  this.s' 

"  Come  straight  on,  there  is  no  danger  beyond  getting 
your  feet  wet." 

"They  are  that  already,"  I  answered,  and  pressed  on, 
having  absolutely  to  force  my  way  through  the  wet  rushes, 
which  wound  themselves  round  me  impeding  my  progress 
terribly.  Moreover,  so  sticky  was  the  slime  below,  that  I 
thought  every  moment  it  would  pull  the  boots  off  my  feet. 
Struggling  on  in  this  manner  for  a  hundred  yards  or  more, 
guided  by  the  fire,  and  an  occasional  shout  from  my  un- 
known friend,  I  at  last  touched  hard  ground,  and  with  a 
"  Thank  heaven  !  "  got  out  of  the  swamp,  and  found  myself 
at  the  foot  of  the  hillock,  behind  which  the  fire  was  blazing. 

"  Which  way  to  Bucine  ?  "  I  called  out. 

"  Are  you  out  of  the  swamp  ?  " 

«  Yes ! " 

"Then  come  round  the  shoulder  of  the  hill  to  your 
right,  and  follow  your  nose.  You  will  find  shelter  here. 
Bucine  you  could  never  reach  to-night,  and  a  dog  should 
not  be  out  in  this  weather." 

"  True,  friend,"  I  muttered,  and  with  a  loud  "  thanks  " 
to  the  apparently  hospitable  unknown,  I  followed  his  di- 
rections, and  rounding  the  hillock,  saw  before  me,  splut- 
tering in  the  rain,  a  huge  fire  of  pine-logs,  at  the  entrance 
to  a  hut  of  the  rudest  description.  Inside,  I  perceived  a 
sitting  figure,  over  which  the  light  from  the  fire  alter- 
nately cast  a  glare,  and  then  left  it  in  darkness.  I  made  my 
way  to  the  open  door,  which  hung  back  on  hinges  of  rope, 
and  entered  without  further  ceremony. 


38  THE   HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  Humph ! "  snorted  my  host,  without  moving  from  his 
position.  "  I  said  it  was  no  night  for  a  dog  to  be  out,  I 
did  not  say  anything  of  a  wolf." 

This  change  of  tone  was  not  so  surprising,  for  dripping 
wet,  covered  with  mud,  and  white  with  fatigue,  my  gen- 
eral appearance  was  but  little  calculated  to  re-assure  any 
one.  Yet,  as  I  hung  my  cloak  on  a  rough  wooden  peg 
which  caught  my  eye,  I  could  not  help  laughing  in  mock- 
ery as  I  answered : 

"  Wolves,  friend,  come  to  wolves'  lairs." 

He  took  no  notice  of  my  remark ;  but  pointing  to  a 
heap  of  rushes  opposite  to  him,  said,  "  Sit  down  there." 
He  then  rose,  and  went  towards  the  fire  with  an  unlit 
torch  in  his  hand.  This  gave  me  some  opportunity  of 
observing  him.  I  saw  he  was  of  spare,  but  elastic  figure. 
His  head  was  bare,  and  his  white  hair  hung  in  matted 
locks  over  a  lean  neck  to  his  shoulders.  His  dress  was 
fantastic,  and  entirely  out  of  place  with  his  surroundings. 
It  consisted  of  a  tight  fitting  jerkin  of  parti-coloured  vel- 
vet, with  puffed  breeches  to  match,  pulled  over  thick 
black  hose.  On  his  feet  were  the  ordinary  sandals  of  the 
peasantry,  and,  as  he  stooped  to  light  the  torch-wood,  I 
saw  his  face  was  seamed  with  wrinkles,  and  that  his  lips 
moved  rapidly,  as  if  he  was  speaking,  although  no  sound 
issued  from  them.  He  did  not  delay  about  his  busi- 
ness; but  hastened  in,  and  sticking  the  torch  in  a  hole 
in  the  floor  between  us,  resumed  his  seat,  and  said  ab- 
rnptly — 

"  Let  me  look  at  you  ?  " 

Apparently  his  scrutiny  was  satisfactory,  and  I  did 
nothing  to  interrupt  him. 

"Hungry?" 

"  No.  All  that  I  ask  is  to  be  allowed  to  rest  here  till 
to-morrow." 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      39 

"  That  is  well,  for  I  have  no  food  to  offer  you ;  but 
here  is  some  wine  iu  this  skin." 

He  reached  to  a  corner  and  pulled  out  a  small  wine- 
skin. This  he  placed  before  me  with  the  single  word 
"  drink." 

"  No,  thanks."  The  whole  manner  and  aspect  of  the  man 
were  so  peculiar,  that,  although  I  was  much  fatigued,  I 
judged  it  prudent  to  decline.  His  quick  eye  seemed  to 
read  my  thoughts,  for  he  laughed  a  little  bitterly  as  he 
said — 

"  Tush,  man  !  There  is  no  fear.  You  bear  too  long  a 
sword  to  have  a  purse  worth  the  picking,  and  you  are  not 
supping,"  a  look  of  hate  passed  over  his  features  as  he 
dropped  out  slowly,  "  with  the  Borgia.  See,  I  will  give  you 
a  toast — Revenge."  He  took  a  pull  at  the  skin  and  flung 
it  to  me. 

"  I  drink  to  that,"  I  said,  tastiug  the  wine  in  my  turn. 
Here  then  was  another  who,  like  me,  sought  for  consola- 
tion in  vengeance.  We  sat  in  silence  for  some  minutes, 
each  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts.  The  heat  from  the 
fire  had  warmed  the  hut  so,  that  the  blue  steam  began  to 
rise  from  my  damp  clothes.  My  companion  reclined  on 
his  elbow  tracing  some  diagram  on  the  floor  with  a  poniard, 
which  from  its  shape  was  evidently  of  Eastern  make.  The 
rain,  which  now  increased  in  violence,  had  almost  quenched 
the  log-fire,  and  was  invading  our  shelter,  for  the  roof  be- 
gan to  leak.  There  being  no  wind  the  torch  burned  steadily, 
throwing  sufficient  light  for  us  to  distinguish  each  other. 
I  began  to  wonder  what  manner  of  man  this  was  before 
me,  dressed  in  a  motley  of  court-fool  and  peasant,  and  my 
curiosity  was  aroused  to  such  an  extent,  that  for  the  time 
I  forgot  my  own  troubles.  Nevertheless  1  made  no  sign 
of  inquiry,  knowing  there  is  no  means  so  sure  of  obtaining 
information   as  to  seem  not  to  desire  it.     My  new  friend 


40  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  point  of  his  dagger,  the  mus- 
cles of  his  queer-webbed  face  twitching  nervously.  At 
length  he  became  conscious  of  my  scrutiny,  for  lifting  his 
eyes,  he  looked  me  in  the  face,  and  then  made  a  motion 
of  his  hand  towards  the  wine-skin.  « 

"  No  more,  thanks." 

"  There  will  be  that  left  for  to-morrow  before  we  start." 

"  Then  you  also  are  a  traveller  ?  " 

"  If  you  so  put  it ;  but  I  have  been  here  for  a  week." 

"  An  odd  retreat  to  choose." 

"  Any  hole  will  do  for  a  rat." 

"  True ;  but  we  were  wolves  a  moment  ago,"  I  smiled. 

"  I  did  not  say  I  was,"  he  replied  drily,  "  but  you  looked 
wolf  all  over  when  you  came  in.     Give  me  your  hand." 

I  stretched  out  my  hand,  and  he  held  my  open  palm 
near  the  torch,  bent  over  it,  and  examined  the  lines  keenly. 

"  Yes,"  he  muttered  half  to  himself,  "  strong  fingers  that 
can  close  over  a  sword-hilt,  a  soldier  too,  and  one  who  has 
seen  wars.  Too  much  conscience  ever  to  be  great.  You 
will  never  die  a  prince  as  Sforza  did.  Stay — what  do  I  see  ? 
A  man  changed  to  a  wolf — no — wolf  you  will  never  be.  A 
bitter  enemy,  a  woman  who  loves  you,  and  a  free  heart  for 
yourself.  Sorrow  and  danger,  bale  and  ruth,  then  calm 
waters  and  peace.  There  !  Are  you  satisfied  ?  If  the  devil 
does  not  upset  this,  it  is  the  map  of  your  life.  Can  you 
read  mine  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  replied,  withdrawing  my  hand,  and  somewhat 
surprised  at  the  general  accuracy  of  this  man's  knowledge 
of  my  past.  Yet,  I  could  not  help  crossing  myself  as  I 
thought  of  his  allusion  to  the  foul  fiend. 

"  Ay  !  "  he  sneered,  "  cross  yourself.  Peter  and  Paul  are 
old  and  blind.  They  do  not  see.  Pray  if  you  like.  God 
is  too  far  above  the  stars  to  hear  you.  Go  on  your  knees 
and  beat  at  the  skies  with  your  lamentations.     You  will 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      41 

surely  see  the  light  of  a  seraph's  wings.  Do  I  not  know — 
have  I  not  seen  the  deep  ?     Some  day  you  will  know,  too." 

He  stopped  as  suddenly  as  he  burst  out,  and  betook  him- 
self to  his  old  trick  of  moving  his  lips  rapidly,  forming 
words  without  any  sound.  I  began  to  think  I  was  with  a 
madman,  and  rapidly  cast  up  the  chances  of  a  struggle.  I 
was  physically  the  stronger,  but  armed  as  he  was,  with  an 
unsheathed  dagger,  the  odds  were  against  me.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  prudent  to  begin  the  assault  myself,  and  taking 
him  by  surprise,  overpower  him.  When,  however,  I  came 
to  consider  that  I  was  in  a  manner  his  guest,  that  he  had 
shown  me  kindness,  and  given  no  signs  of  personal  violence, 
I  was  ashamed  of  my  fears. 

"You  say  you  are  going  to  Bucine?"  He  asked  the 
question  in  his  usual  abrupt  manner;  but  his  tone  was 
composed. 

"  It  lies  on  my  road." 

"  And  on  mine,  too.  Shall  we  travel  together  ?  I  could 
point  out  the  way." 

"  Certainly.     It  is  very  good  of  you." 

"  Well,  it  is  time  to  sleep,  and  the  torch  has  burnt  to  an 
end." 

As  he  spoke  he  stretched  himself  out  at  full  length,  and, 
turning  his  back  to  me,  appeared  to  sink  at  once  into  slum- 
ber. I  watched  him  for  some  time  by  the  embers  of  the 
torch,  wondering  if  I  was  wise  in  accepting  his  companion- 
ship, and  then,  overpowered  by  fatigue,  lost  myself  in  sleep, 
heedless  of  the  rain,  which  dripped  in  twenty  places  through 
the  roof. 

I  slept  profoundly,  until  aroused  by  my  shoulder  being 
gently  shaken,  and  looking  up,  beheld  my  host,  as  I  must 
call  him,  bending  over  me.  I  thought  I  had  slept  for  a 
few  minutes  only,  and  saw  to  my  surprise  that  it  was  well 
in  the  morning,  and  the  sun  shone  brightly.  All  traces  of 
4 


42  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

cloud  were  gone,  though  soft  billows  of  mist  rolled  over  the 
olive  gardens,  and  vineyards  of  Chianti  grape,  that  stretched 
towards  Montevarchi. 

"  Heavens,  man !  How  you  sleep  !  I  was  right  when  I 
hinted  you  had  a  good  conscience." 

I  scrambled  up  with  a  hasty  Good- morning ;  and  a  few 
minutes  afterwards,  having  finished  the  remains  of  the  wine 
in  the  skin,  we  started  off  in  the  direction  of  Bucine.  My 
companion  had  politely  never  inquired  my  name,  and  I  had 
been  equally  reticent.  He  placed  on  his  head  a  silken  fools'- 
cap,  and  the  bells  on  it  jingled  incessantly  as  he  walked 
along  with  a  jaunty  air,  at  a  pace  that  was  remarkable  for  a 
man  of  his  age.  He  seemed  to  have  lost  the  melancholy 
that  possessed  him  during  the  night,  and  conversed  in  so 
cheerful  and  entertaining  a  manner,  that  in  spite  of  myself, 
I  was  interested  and  withdrawn  from  my  unhappy  thoughts. 
He  kept  up  his  mood  to  Bucine  where,  notwithstanding  our 
strange  appearance,  we  attracted,  to  my  relief,  less  attention 
than  I  imagined  we  should  draw. 

With  appetites  sharpened  by  our  walk,  we  did  full  justice 
to  the  meal  I  ordered  at  the  only  hostel  in  the  place.  Here 
I  played  host,  as  a  return  for  my  entertainment,  and  in  con- 
versation my  acquaintance  said  that  he  was  bound  for  Flor- 
ence. I  told  him  that  also  was  my  point,  and  invited  him 
to  bear  me  company  on  the  road,  to  which  he  willingly 
agreed.  I  made  an  attempt  here  to  hire  a  horse;  but  not 
even  a  donkey  was  procurable,  all  available  carriage  having 
been  seized  upon  for  the  army.  So  once  more  descending 
the  hill  on  which  Bucine  is  situated,  we  forded  the  river  and 
continued  our  journey. 

At  the  albergo  we  heard  that  a  body  of  troops  were 
foraging  along  the  banks  of  the  Arno,  and  resolved  to  make 
a  detour,  and,  crossing  Monte  Luco,  to  keep  on  the  sides 
of  the   Chianti   hills,  if  necessary  avoiding   Montevarchi 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      43 

altogether.  My  companion  maintained  his  high  spirits 
until  we  reached  the  top  of  the  spur  of  Monte  Luco,  known 
to  the  peasantry  as  the  Virgin's  Cradle.  Here  we  stopped 
to  breathe  and  observe  the  view.  I  looked  back  across  the 
Chi  ana  valley,  and  let  my  eye  run  over  the  landscape  which 
stretched  as  far  as  the  Marches.  In  the  blue  splash,  to  the 
south  of  the  rugged  and  conical  hill  of  Cortona,  I  recog- 
nised Trasimene,  and  beyond  it  lay  Perugia.  I  turned  to 
call  my  friend's  attention  to  the  scene,  and  at  first  did  not 
perceive  where  he  was.  Another  glance  showed  him  stand- 
ing on  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  a  little  to  my  left,  shaking  his 
clenched  hand  in  the  direction  of  Perugia,  whilst  on  his 
face  was  marked  every  sign  of  sorrow  and  hate. 

Curious  to  see  what  this  would  result  in,  I  made  no  at- 
tempt to  attract  his  attention,  but  in  a  moment  he  shook  off 
the  influence  which  possessed  him,  and  rejoined  me  with  a 
calm  brow.  We  thereujjon  continued  our  journey  with  this 
difference,  that  my  companion  was  now  as  silent  as  hitherto 
he  had  been  cheerful.  My  own  dark  thoughts  too  came 
back  to  roost,  and  in  a  gloom  we  descended  the  Cradle, 
pushing  our  way  through  the  myrtle  with  which  it  was 
covered,  and  walked  on,  holding  Montevarchi  to  our 
right. 

We  kept  a  sharp  look-out  for  the  foragers,  and  seeing  no 
signs  of  them,  made  up  our  minds,  after  some  consultation, 
to  risk  going  to  Montevarchi,  which  we  reached  without 
mishap  a  little  after  noon.  It  was  not  my  intention  to  halt 
there  more  than  an  hour  or  so,  which  I,  hoping  I  would 
have  better  luck  than  at  Bucine,  intended  to  spend  in  try- 
ing to  hire  an  animal  of  some  kind  to  ride. 

We  stopped  at  the  Bell  Inn,  near  the  gate,  and  after  a 
deal  of  bargaining,  which  consumed  a  good  hour,  the  land- 
lord agreed  to  hire  me  his  mule  for  two  crowns.  The 
rascal  wanted  ten  at  first.     Just  as  the  matter  was  settled  a 


44  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

dozen  or  so  of  troopers  rode  in,  and,  spying  the  mule,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  claimed  it  for  carriage  purposes. 

It  was  in  vain  the  landlord  protested  that  it  was  his  last 
beast,  that  it  had  been  hired  to  the  noble  cavaliere,  meaning 
me,  and  many  other  things  beside.  The  soldiers  were  deaf 
to  his  entreaties,  and  although  I  had  more  than  a  mind  to 
draw  on  the  villains,  I  had  the  good  sense  to  restrain  my- 
self, for  the  odds  were  too  many  against  me.  I  therefore 
hid  my  chagrin  under  a  smile,  and  the  mule  was  led  away 
amidst  the  lamentations  of  mine  host,  who  was  further  put 
out  of  pocket  by  a  gallon  or  so  of  wine,  which  the  troopers 
consumed,  doubtless  in  honour  of  the  prize  they  had  taken, 
neglecting  in  the  true  fashion  of  the  compagnes  grandes  to 
pay  for  it.  It  was  a  fit  lesson  to  the  landlord,  for  had  he 
not,  in  his  cupidity,  haggled  for  an  hour  over  the  hire  of 
the  animal,  he  might  have  been  the  richer  by  two  crowns 
and  still  owned  his  mule.  Thus  it  is  that  avarice  finds  its 
own  punishment. 

On  going  off,  the  leader  of  the  troop,  a  man  whom  I 
knew  by  sight  and  by  reputation  as  a  swashbuckler,  if  ever 
there  was  one,  made  me  a  mock  salute,  saying,  in  allusion  to 
my  quietness  in  surrendering  my  claim  to  the  mule,  "  Adieu, 
Messer  Feather- Cap — may  your  courage  grow  as  long  as 
your  sword."  This  taunt  I  swallowed  ruefully,  and  immedi- 
ately set  about  my  departure.  My  companion,  who  was  not 
mixed  up  in  the  altercation,  joined  me  silently,  and  we  fol- 
lowed in  the  direction  taken  by  the  troopers,  pursued  by  the 
maledictions  of  the  innkeeper,  who  vented  his  spleen  on  us 
as  the  indirect  cause  of  his  misfortune. 

The  foragers,  who  owing  to  the  warmth  of  the  weather 
had  all  removed  their  breast-plates,  which  were  slung  to 
their  saddles,  were  going  at  a  walking  pace  ;  and  it  was 
amusing  to  see  how  the  mere  sight  of  their  presence  cleared 
the  streets.     Noting,  however,  that  they  did  not  appear  to 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      45 

be  bent  on  personal  injury,  we  did  not  think  it  necessary  to 
go  out  of  our  course,  or  delay  our  departure  until  they 
left  the  town,  and  as  we  walked  fast  and  they  went  slowly, 
by  the  time  they  reached  the  main  square,  we  were  not 
more  than  a  dozen  yards  behind  them. 

At  this  moment  we  noticed  the  figure  of  a  woman, 
apparently  blind,  for  she  was  guided  by  a  little  dog  attached 
to  a  string.  The  poor  creature  was  crossing  the  jDavement 
almost  in  front  of  the  leader  of  the  troop,  and  as  she  was 
right  in  the  path  of  the  troopers,  we  attempted  to  warn  her 
by  shouting,  and  she  stooped  irresolutely,  hardly  knowing 
which  way  to  turn.  The  troop  leader,  without  making  any 
effort  to  avoid  her,  rode  on  in  a  pitiless  manner,  and  she  was 
flung  senseless  to  the  ground.  In  this  her  hood  fell  back, 
uncoveriug  her  face,  and  my  companion,  suddenly  uttering  a 
loud  cry,  ran  forward,  and  seizing  her  in  his  arms,  began 
to  address  her  with  every  term  of  endearment,  in  the  man- 
ner of  a  father  to  his  child. 

The  troopers  halted — discipline  it  will  be  observed  was 
not  great — and  one  of  them  with  rough  sympathy  called  to 
my  friend  to  bear  the  girl,  for  so  she  looked,  to  the  fountain, 
at  the  same  time  that  their  commander  gave  a  loud  order  to 
go  on,  and  to  leave  off  looking  at  a  fool  and  a  beggar.  I 
had,  however,  made  up  my  mind  there  was  a  little  work 
for  me,  and,  drawing  my  sword,  stepped  up  to  the  swash- 
buckler's bridle,  and  asked  for  a  five  minutes'  interview 
there  and  then. 

He  burst  into  a  loud  laugh,  "  Corpo  di  Bacco  !  Here  is 
Messer  Feather-Cap  with  his  courage  grown.  Here  !  two  of 
you  bind  him  to  the  mule." 

But  the  men  with  him  were  in  no  mood  to  obey,  and  one 
of  them  openly  said — 

"  It  is  always  thus  with  the  ancient  Brico." 

"  Do  you  intend  to  give  me  the  pleasure  I  seek,"  I  asked, 


46  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  or  has  the  ancient  Brico  taken  off  his  heart  with  his  corse- 
let?" 

For  a  moment  it  looked  as  if  he  were  about  to  ride  at 
me  :  but  my  sword  was  ready,  and  I  was  standing  too  close 
to  him  for  any  such  treachery  to  be  carried  off.  Flinging 
the  reins,  therefore,  to  the  neck  of  his  horse,  he  dismounted 
slowly  and  drew  his  sword.  A  number  of  the  townsfolk, 
attracted  by  the  scene,  so  far  forgot  their  fear  of  the  for- 
agers as  to  collect  around  us,  and  in  a  few  moments  a  ring 
was  formed,  one  portion  of  which  was  occupied  by  the 
troopers. 

Brico  took  his  stand  so  as  to  place  the  sun  in  my  eyes,  a 
manifest  unfairness,  for  we  should  have  fought  north  and 
south ;  yet  I  made  no  objection,  and  unclasping  my  cloak 
let  it  fall  to  the  ground  behind  me. 

"  A  vous  !  "  he  called  out,  and  the  next  moment  we  en- 
gaged in  the  lower  circle,  my  opponent,  for  all  his  French 
cry,  adopting  the  Italian  method,  and  using  a  dagger  to 
parry.  For  a  few  seconds  we  tried  to  feel  each  other,  and  I 
was  delighted  with  the  balance  of  my  sword.  It  did  not 
take  me  a  half  minute  to  see  that  he  was  a  child  in  my  hands, 
and  I  began  to  rapidly  consider  whether  it  would  be  worth 
the  candle  to  kill  him  or  not.  Brico,  who  had  commenced 
the  assault  with  a  stamp  of  his  foot,  and  a  succession  of 
rapid  thrusts  in  the  lower  lines,  became  aware  of  his  weak- 
ness as  soon  as  I  did,  and  began  to  back  slowly.  I  twice 
pricked  him  over  the  heart,  and  his  hand  began  to  shake, 
so  that  he  could  hardly  hold  his  weapon. 

"  Make  way  there,"  I  called  out  mockingly,  "  the  ancient 
would  like  to  run  a  little." 

Maddened  by  this  taunt,  he  pulled  himself  together  and 
lunged  recklessly  at  me  in  tierce ;  it  was  an  easy  parry,  and 
with  a  strong  beat  I  disarmed  him.  He  did  not  wait,  but 
with  the  rapidity  of  a  hare  turned  and  fled,  not  so  fast,  how- 


A  FOOL'S  CAP  AND  A  SORE  HEART.      47 

ever,  but  that  I  was  able  to  accelerate  his  departure  with  a 
stroke  from  the  flat  of  my  sword. 

"  Adieu,  ancient  Brico ! "  I  called  out  after  him  as  he 
ran  on,  followed  by  a  howl  of  derision  from  the  crowd,  in 
which  his  own  men  joined. 

It  was  lucky  that  I  adopted  the  course  of  disarming  him, 
for  had  the  affair  ended  otherwise,  I  doubt  not  but  that  the 
men-at-arms  would  have  felt  called  upon  to  avenge  their 
leader,  poltroon  as  he  was.  As  it  happened  they  enjoyed  his 
discomfiture,  and  an  old  trooper  called  out  to  me — 

"  Well  fought,  signore — you  should  join  us — there  is 
room  for  your  sword  under  the  banner  of  Tremouille. 
What — no — I  am  sorry ;  but  go  in  peace,  for  you  have  rid 
us  of  a  cur." 

Saying  this,  they  rode  off,  one  of  their  number  leading 
the  ancient's  horse  by  the  bridle. 

I  turned  now  to  look  for  my  companion.  He  was  no- 
where to  be  seen,  and  on  inquiry  I  found  that  he  had  lifted 
the  girl  up,  and  supporting  her  on  his  arm,  the  two,  fol- 
lowed by  the  dog,  had  turned  down  by  the  church,  and 
were  now  not  in  view.  It  would,  no  doubt,  have  been  easy 
to  follow,  and  as  easy  to  trace  them ;  but  I  reasoned  that 
the  man  must  have  purposely  done  this  to  avoid  me ;  and 
after  all  it  was  no  business  of  mine.  I  therefore  returned  my 
sword  to  its  sheath  and  walked  on. 


CHAPTER  V. 
d'entrangues  scores  a  point. 

Before  I  had  gone  fifty  paces,  however,  I  became  aware 
that  there  was  some  law  left  in  Montevarchi,  for  a  warning 
cry  made  me  look  over  my  shoulder,  and  I  saw  a  party  of 
the  city-guards,  who  had  discreetly  kept  out  of  the  way  when 
Brico  and  I  crossed  swords,  hurrying  towards  me.  The 
same  glance  showed  me  that  the  ancient  was  already  in  their 
hands,  and  was  being  dragged  along  with  but  little  regard  to 
his  comfort ;  and  I  felt  sure  that  now,  as  the  troop  was  gone, 
the  citizens  would  wreak  their  vengeance  on  this  hen-roost 
robber,  and  he  would  be  lucky  if  he  escaped  with  life.  As 
for  me,  the  catchpolls  being  out,  they  no  doubt  reasoned 
that  they  might  as  well  net  me.  To  stop  and  resist,  would 
only  result  in  my  being  ultimately  overpowered,  and  per- 
haps imprisoned ;  to  yield  without  a  blow  meant  very  much 
the  same  thing,  and,  in  the  shake  of  a  drake's  tail,  I  re- 
solved to  run,  and  to  trust  for  escape  to  my  turn  for  speed. 
So  I  set  off  at  my  roundest  pace,  followed  by  the  posse, 
and  the  rabble  who  but  a  moment  before  were  cheering  me. 

More  than  once  I  felt  inclined  to  turn,  and  end  the 
matter  for  myself ;  but  the  fact  that  this  might  mean  lay- 
ing aside  all  chance  of  settling  D'Entrangues,  urged  me  to 
my  best  efforts.  Some  fool  made  an  attempt  to  stop  me, 
and  I  was  compelled  to  slash  him  across  the  face  with  my 
sword,  as  a  warning  not  to   interfere  with   matters  with 

48 


D'ENTRANGUES  SCORES  A   POINT.  49 

which  he  had  no  concern.  I  hardly  knew  where  I  was 
going  ;  but  dashed  down  a  little  bye-street,  and  was,  after  a 
hundred  yards,  brought  to  a  halt  by  a  dead  wall.  I  could 
barely  reach  the  top  of  it  with  my  hands,  luckily  this  was 
enough  to  allow  me  to  draw  myself  up,  and  drop  over  to 
the  other  side,  just  as  the  police  reached  within  ten  feet  of 
me.  I  did  not  stop  to  take  notes  of  their  action,  but  was 
off  as  soon  as  my  feet  touched  ground,  and  found  to  my 
joy  that  I  was  close  to  one  of  the  unrepaired  breaches  in 
the  city  wall,  made  six  months  ago  by  Tremouille's  cannon. 
Through  this  I  rushed,  and  scrambling  down  a  slope  of 
broken  stone  and  mortar,  found  I  would  be  compelled  to 
climb  down  very  nearly  a  hundred  feet  of  what  looked  like 
the  sheer  face  of  a  rock,  before  I  could  reach  level  ground. 
There  was  not  even  a  goat  track.  My  agility  was,  how- 
ever, spurred  on  by  hearing  shouts  behind  me,  and  prefer- 
ring to  risk  death  in  attempting  the  descent,  rather  than 
fall  into  the  hands  of  messer  the  podesta,  I  chanced  the 
venture,  and  partly  by  holding  on  to  the  tough  broom  roots, 
partly  slipping,  and  aided  by  Providence  and  Our  Lady  of 
San  Spirito,  to  whom  I  hurriedly  cast  up  a  prayer,  I  man- 
aged to  reach  the  bottom,  and  fell,  exhausted  and  breath- 
less, into  a  cistus  hedge. 

I  was  too  beaten  to  go  another  yard,  and  had  my  pur- 
suers only  followed  up,  must  have  become  an  easy  prey.  As 
it  was  I  heard  them  reach  the  breach,  where  they  came  to 
a  stop,  all  shouting  and  babbling  at  the  same  time.  One 
or  two,  bolder  than  the  others,  attempted  to  descend  the 
ledge  of  rock,  down  which  I  escaped,  but  its  steepness 
damped  their  courage.  They,  however,  succeed ed  in  loos- 
ening some  of  the  debris  so  that  it  fell  over  the  cliff,  and  a 
few  of  the  stones  dropped  very  close  to  me ;  but  by  good 
hap  I  escaped,  or  else  this  would  never  have  been  written. 
One  great  block  indeed,  just  passed  over  my  head,  and  I 


50  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVBLLI. 

vowed  an  altar-piece  to  Our  Lady  of  San  Spirito,  who  alone 
could  have  diverted  that  which  was  coming  straight  to  my 
destruction ;  and  I  may  add  I  duly  kept  my  word.  After  a 
time  the  voices  above  began  to  grow  fainter,  and  to  my 
delight  I  found  that  the  citizens,  thinking  it  impossible  I 
should  have  escaped  like  a  lizard  amongst  the  rocks,  were 
harking  back,  and  ranging  to  the  right  and  left.  I  waited 
until  all  sound  died  away,  and  cautiously  peeped  out.  The 
coast  was  clear.  I  had  recovered  my  wind,  and  without 
more  waste  of  time,  I  rose  and  pressed  on  in  the  direction 
of  the  hills,  determined  to  chance  no  further  adventures 
near  the  towns.  Indeed,  I  had  crowded  more  incident  into 
the  past  few  hours,  than  into  the  previous  five-and-thirty 
years  of  my  life,  and  my  sole  object,  at  present,  was  to  reach 
Florence  without  further  let  or  hindrance. 

Keeping  the  vineyards  between  me  and  the  town,  I 
avoided  all  observation,  and  at  a  small  wayside  inn,  filled  a 
wallet  which  I  purchased,  with  food  and  a  bottle  of  the 
rough  country  wine,  so  that  there  might  be  no  necessity 
for  my  visiting  a  human  habitation  during  the  remainder 
of  my  journey.  With  the  wallet  swung  over  my  shoulder, 
an  hour  or  so  later  I  was  ascending  the  slopes  of  Mount 
St.  Michele,  cursing  the  fallen  pine-needles,  which  made 
my  foothold  so  slippery,  that  I  slid  rather  than  walked. 

Turning  the  corner  of  a  bluff,  I  suddenly  came  upon 
half-a-dozen  men,  reclining  under  the  pines  in  various 
attitudes  of  ease.  They  sprang  up  at  once  on  seeing  me, 
and  one  of  them,  presenting  his  arquebus,  called  on  me  to 
halt. 

"  You  must  pay  our  toll  before  you  pass,  Signore,"  said 
the  man,  who  appeared  to  be  the  leader  of  the  party. 

"  As  you  please,"  I  replied,  "  but  my  only  metal  is  cold 
steel." 

"  Corpo  di  Bacco  !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  I  thought  I  knew 


D'ENTRANGUES  SCORES  A  POINT.  51 

you,  and  your  voice  makes  me  certain.  Surely  I  address 
the  Cavaliere  di  Savelli  ?  " 

I  bowed,  a  little  confused  at  the  thought  of  my  disguise 
being  so  easily  penetrated,  and  the  bandit  went  on,  turning 
to  his  comrades — 

"  Put  down  your  gun,  Spalle,  this  gentleman  is  one  of  us, 
and — hawks  do  not  peck  out  hawks'  eyes.  Signore,"  he 
added,  "  you  pass  free.  I  had  the  honour  to  serve  in  your 
condotta  during  the  Siena  war,  and  doubtless  you  remember 
Piero  Luigi  ?  " 

"  I  do,"  I  said,  and  the  memory  of  a  bag  of  florins  which 
accompanied  this  same  Luigi  on  his  disappearance  one  fine 
day  came  to  my  mind.  I  had  not  however  seen  the  man 
for  three  years,  but  he  was  apparently  of  those  who  do  not 
forget  faces.  As  it  turned  out,  however,  he  had  seen  me 
very  recently  without  my  knowing  it. 

"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  think  I  am  not  forgotten,  and  in  a 
way,  Excellency,  you  have  paid  your  footing."  The  rascal 
was  alluding  to  my  stolen  florins.  "  To  think,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  that  you  should  have  joined  us  !  But  I  suiipose  it 
was  the  dice,  and,  to  be  sure,  the  rubies  were  worth  ten 
thousand.  You  should  have  realised  at  once  and  vanished ; 
but  experience  will  come,  and  mayhap  another  chance.  I 
saw  the  trial,  Excellency,  and  we  do  not  war  with  the  pro- 
fession, least  of  all  with  a  new  recruit.  You  are  free  to 
pass,  or,  if  you  prefer  it,  to  accept  our  hos])itality  for  a 
while." 

I  declined  the  proffered  invitation  with  a  brief  thanks 
and  went  on,  my  blood  boiling  at  the  impertinence  of  the 
scoundrel  who  so  familiarly  claimed  me  as  one  of  his  own 
kind.  Innocent  myself,  I  was  tasting  to  the  dregs  all 
the  humiliation  of  the  guilty,  and  it  was  only  perhaps 
a  lucky  chance  that  saved  me  from  the  rope,  or  the 
still  worse  fate  of  the  galleys  at  Pisa.     Turn  which  way  I 


52  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVBLLI. 

would,  my  own  country  would  never  be  a  country  for  me 
again.  I  was  cut  out  from  my  order,  my  infamy  would  be 
known  wherever  my  name  was  heard,  and  my  associates 
would  henceforth  have  to  be  the  vilest  of  mankind.  Had  I 
committed  a  murder,  or  even  an  act  of  treachery  in  war, 
that  could  have  been  wiped  out ;  but  to  have  sunk  to  the 
condition  of  a  common  thief,  this  was  ignominy  beyond 
repair.  I  therefore  resolved,  as  soon  as  I  pushed  matters  to 
a  conclusion  with  D'Entrangues,  that  I  should  leave  Italy 
and  seek  a  new  life  in  the  strange  countries  beyond  the 
seas  which  Messer  Columbus,  the  navigator,  had  discovered, 
and  there,  my  past  being  unknown,  perhaps  find  a  future 
of  peace  or  the  rest  which  fears  no  disturbing  from  this 
world. 

My  original  idea  had  been  to  seek  the  dominions  of  the 
Turk,  but  they  were  too  close  to  my  shame ;  even  the  New 
World  was  hardly  far  enough.  So  I  planned,  and  so  doubt- 
less would  I  have  acted  had  not  circumstances  worked  to  give 
me  back  what  I  lost,  as  I  thought  hopelessly,  and  to  bring 
home  to  my  mind  the  certainty  of  that  tender  mercy  of 
God,  of  which  we  on  earth  take  too  little  account. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  before  I  halted  and  ate  my 
dinner  under  an  overhanging  rock,  sheltered  from  the  north 
wind  by  a  clump  of  pines.  When  I  finished  I  rolled  myself 
up  in  my  cloak,  and  fatigue,  together  with  a  good  con- 
science, combined  to  send  me  to  a  sleep  as  sound  as  it 
was  refreshing.  I  was  up  before  the  sun  and  continued 
my  way,  determined  to  reach  Florence  by  evening.  I  took 
no  particular  notice  of  the  view,  where  I  could  see  to  my 
right  the  Prato  Magno,  and  to  my  left  all  the  valley  of  the 
Greve ;  but  kept  my  eyes  before  me,  intent  on  my  thoughts. 

At  length,  when  passing  Impruneta,  where  the  black 
virgin  is,  Florence  came  in  sight.  There  was  a  slight  haze 
which  prevented  me  from  seeing  as  clearly  as  I  could  wish ; 


D'ENTRANGUES  SCORES  A  POINT.  53 

but  I  plainly  made  out  the  houses  on  the  banks  of  the  Arno, 
Arnolfo's  Tower,  the  Palace  of  the  Signory,  the  Cathedral, 
the  Bargello,  and  the  unfinished  Pitti  Palace,  whilst  beyond 
rose  the  convent- topped  hill  of  Senario,  where  the  Servites 
have  their  monastery. 

As  I  looked,  there  was  little  of  admiration  in  my  heart, 
although  the  scene  was  fair  enough ;  but  I  could  give  no 
mind  to  anything  beyond  the  fact  that  I  was  at  last  within 
measurable  distance  of  D'Entrangues,  and  that  in  a  few 
hours  my  hand  was  like  to  be  at  his  throat. 

With  these  thoughts  there  somehow  mingled  up  the 
face  of  Madame,  and  the  scene  of  our  last  meeting.  I  put 
this  aside,  however,  with  a  strong  hand,  and  determined  to 
think  no  more  of  her,  although  no  such  recollection  could 
be  anything  but  pleasant  and  sweet.  Until  I  met  her  I 
had  managed  well  enough  without  womankind,  and  for  the 
future  I  would  leave  bright  eyes  alone.  Yet  I  knew  I  was 
the  better  man  for  holding  the  privilege  of  her  friendship. 
However,  she  had  passed  out  of  my  life,  and  across  the  seas 
I  would  have  other  things  to  think  of  than  the  memory  of 
my  platonic  friendship  with  Doris  D'Entrangues. 

It  was  close  upon  sunset  when  I  entered  the  San  Piero 
Gate,  and  found  myself  in  Florence,  and  in  a  difficulty  at 
the  same  time,  in  consequence  of  my  wearing  a  sword.  I 
luckily,  however,  remembered  that  La  Palisse,  the  French 
leader,  was  then  in  the  city,  and  explaining  that  I  was  from 
the  army  at  Arezzo  with  a  message  to  him,  inquired  partic- 
ularly his  abode,  which  I  was  told  was  in  the  palace  of  the 
exiled  Medici  in  the  Via  Larga.  It  so  happened  that  La 
Palisse  was  in  constant  communication  with  Tremouille, 
and  this  and  my  confident  bearing  imposed  upon  the 
guards.  I  supplemented  my  argument  with  a  couple  of 
crowns,  and  they  let  me  pass  without  further  parley.  It 
will  thus  be  seen  that  whatever  the  regulations  may  have 


54  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

been,  they  were  easily  broken.  Indeed  I  found  later  on 
that  they  were,  even  at  that  time,  a  dead  letter,  and  that 
the  zeal  of  the  guards  was  merely  inspired  by  the  prospect 
of  making  something  out  of  me,  which  they  did  on  this 
occasion.  I  knew  Florence  fairly  well,  having  been  there 
under  circumstances  very  different  to  the  present;  but  as  I 
hurried  along  the  crowded  streets,  I  began  to  feel  I  was 
somewhat  uncertain  as  to  whither  the  roads  led.  I  judged 
it  prudent,  however,  not  to  make  inquiries,  but  kept  my 
eyes  on  the  sharp  look-out  for  an  hostel  suitable  to  my 
purse,  which  was  diminishing  at  a  fearful  rate.  I  stopped 
for  a  while  at  a  street  stall  to  satisfy  my  hunger  with  a  cake 
of  wheat  and  a  glass  of  milk,  a  wholesome  but  unpalatable 
beverage,  and  entered  into  conversation  with  the  stall-keeper. 
It  came  out  that  I  was  in  a  difficulty  about  a  lodging,  and 
the  man  very  civilly  told  me  where  one  could  be  procured,  and 
added  to  his  kindness,  seeing  I  was  apparently  a  stranger  to 
the  place,  by  directing  his  son,  a  small  bare-legged  urchin,  to 
guide  me  to  the  house,  which  he  said  was  an  old  palace  of 
the  Albizzi,  that  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  banker 
Nobili,  and  was  rented  out  in  tenements. 

Heaven  only  knows  through  what  bye-lanes  and  alleys 
the  imp  led  me,  chattering  like  an  ape  the  whilst ;  but  at 
last  we  reached  the  house  which  lay  in  the  street  di  Pucci. 
An  arrangement  was  soon  entered  into  with  the  person  in 
charge,  and  I  paid  in  advance  for  two  weeks  the  small  rent 
asked  for  the  room  I  took.  I  selected  the  room,  because 
there  was  in  it  some  furniture,  such  as  a  bed,  a  table  and  a 
couple  of  chairs,  which,  I  was  informed  with  some  emphasis, 
had  been  seized  from  the  last  tenant  in  default  of  rent.  I 
sent  the  boy  away  rejoicing,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that 
the  housekeeper  did  not  depart  as  well ;  but  this  worthy 
soon  made  it  clear  to  me  that  a  further  payment  was  requi- 
site on  account  of  the  furniture.     I  was  too  tired  to  haggle, 


D'ENTRANGUES  SCORES  A  POINT.  55 

so  paid  him  the  three  broad  pieces  he  wanted,  and  bid  him 
get  me  some  candles.  He  returned  after  a  little  delay  with 
what  I  needed,  and  I  may  say  at  once  that  under  a  rough 
exterior  I  found  this  man,  with  all  his  faults,  was  capable 
on  occasions  of  displaying  true  kindliness  of  heart. 

I  would  like  to  pay  him  this  tribute,  for  subsequently,  as 
will  be  seen,  we  had  a  grave  difference  of  opinion  which 
ended  in  disaster  for  him.  At  the  time  this  happened  I 
could  not  but  condemn  him  strongly,  for  in  order  to  further 
a  plot  in  which  he  was  engaged,  he  tried  to  induce  me  to 
crime,  and  when,  by  a  happy  chance,  I  was  able  to  frustrate 
his  design,  joined  in  an  attempt  to  murder  me.  I  fully  be- 
lieve, however,  now  that  I  can  look  back  on  affairs  coolly, 
that,  in  common  with  others  of  his  age,  he  thought  it  no 
wrong  to  adopt  any  means  to  further  a  political  plot,  whilst 
in  the  every  day  observances  of  life  he  displayed,  in  an  un- 
derhand manner,  much  virtue. 

When  he  was  gone  I  sat  down  to  count  my  money,  and 
found  I  had  but  ten  crowns  in  all  the  world.  With  prudence 
however  this  would  last  some  time.  Still  it  was  gall  and 
wormwood  to  me  to  have  to  weigh  each  item  of  my  disburse- 
ment. It  would  be  necessary  as  well  to  renew  my  attire, 
which,  with  the  exception  of  the  leather  buff  coat,  was 
almost  ruined  by  the  hard  wear  it  had  been  exposed  to  on 
my  journey.  I  sat  down  to  rest,  but  now  that  I  had  reached 
Florence  a  reaction  set  in,  and  assailed  by  a  full  sense  of 
my  position  I  gave  way  to  despair.  In  a  little  time  I  be- 
came more  composed  ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  keep  still 
with  the  fire  in  my  heart,  and  I  sallied  into  the  street,  taking 
care  to  note  landmarks,  so  as  to  find  my  way  back.  In  this 
manner  I  must  have  gone  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
when  I  was  brought  to  a  standstill  by  the  coming  of  a  gay 
party  down  the  street,  in  the  direction  opposite  to  mine,  all 
marching  by  the  light  of  many  torches,  to  the  music  of  a 


56  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

band.  The  musicians  led  the  procession,  which  was  flanked 
on  each  side  by  a  number  of  flambeaux  bearers,  and  a  retinue 
of  servants,  all  bearing  swords  despite  the  law. 

The  merry-makers  walked  in  pairs,  each  lady  resting  her 
fingers  on  her  cavalier's  arm,  and  all  laughing  and  talking 
with  the  utmost  good-humour.  I  was  compelled  to  draw 
myself  to  the  wall  to  admit  of  their  passing,  and  whilst  thus 
giving  them  the  road,  the  light  fell  brightly  on  me,  and  I 
became  an  object  of  alarm  to  some  of  the  fair,  who  gave 
utterance  to  pretty  little  exclamations  of  terror,  with  the 
result  that  I  came  in  for  haughty  looks  from  the  gallants. 

In  the  middle  of  the  promenaders  were  two  ladies,  who, 
apparently  not  having  partners  of  the  opposite  sex,  had 
linked  themselves  together,  and  the  attention  of  the  taller 
of  these  was  bestowed  upon  me  for  a  moment,  and  it  was 
not  flattering.  As  she  wore  a  mask,  I  could  see  little  of  her 
face  beyond  the  half  contemptuous  look  in  her  eyes  which 
were  dark  as  night,  and  a  short  curl  of  the  upper  lip,  with 
which  she  no  doubt  intended  to  express  the  same  sentiment 
as  her  glance.  I  waited  calmly  until  the  whole  party  passed 
on,  admiring  the  grace  of  the  demoiselle  who  had  favoured 
me  with  her  scornful  survey.  I  watched  them  until  they 
turned  off  into  another  street,  and  then  went  on,  idly  won- 
dering who  the  people  were,  and  more  especially  the  dark- 
eyed  lady. 

The  street  behind  me  was  in  gloom,  a  few  yards  in  front 
of  me  a  lamp  hanging  from  a  wall  threw  a  dim  radiance ; 
beyond  that  there  was  gloom  again.  Through  the  darkness 
before  me  I  heard  the  sound  of  hurrying  feet,  coming  in 
my  direction,  and  almost  before  I  was  aware  of  it,  the  new- 
comer and  I  fell  into  the  circle  of  the  light,  and  met  face  to 
face. 

It  was  D'Entrangues !     He  knew  me  as  if  by  instinct. 

"  You  !  "  he  exclaimed,  and  on  the  instant  his  sword  was 


D'ENTRANGUES  SCORES  A  POINT.  5* 

out.  I  said  nothing.  I  was  blind,  mad  with  anger.  My 
whole  soul  hungered  for  his  life  as  I  thrust  at  him,  and  in 
doing  so  slipped  my  foot  over  the  edge  of  the  narrow  pave- 
ment and  fell  heavily.  He  was  on  me  at  once ;  something 
flashed  in  his  left  hand,  and  I  felt  a  stinging  sensation  all 
over  my  side.  He  did  not  wait  to  see  the  result  of  his  blow. 
Perhaps  he  made  too  sure,  and  springing  over  me,  ran  into 
the  darkness  beyond.  I  scrambled  up  at  once,  and  made  an 
attempt  to  follow ;  but  my  brain  began  to  reel,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  lean  against  the  wall  to  support  myself. 

The  clash  of  steel  had  however  aroused  some  of  the  in- 
habitants, and  hearing  footsteps  approaching  I  pulled  my- 
self together  with  an  effort,  and  making  across  the  road, 
turned  back  to  my  lodging.  Here  again  I  felt  too  weak  to 
proceed  without  help,  and  sank  to  the  ground,  knowing  I 
was  bleeding  freely.  By  this  time  two  or  three  men  came 
up,  and  after  surveying  the  spot  under  the  street-lamp, 
crossed  over  in  my  direction.  The  rays  of  a  lantern  held  by 
one  of  them  discovered  me,  and  they  hastened  up.  I  begged 
the  favour  of  their  assistance  to  my  abode,  saying  I  had 
been  stabbed,  and  this  the  worthy  citizens  readily  accorded  : 
and  not  content  with  that,  when  I  reached  my  room,  gave 
me  all  help  in  dressing  my  injury.  The  dagger,  which  I 
had  to  extract,  had  gone  through  the  folds  of  my  cloak,  but 
was  turned  by  a  steel  buckle  on  the  strap  of  my  buff  coat, 
and  had  cut  through  the  coat  and  down  my  side,  inflicting 
an  ugly  flesh  wound.  This  in  itself  was  not  dangerous ;  but 
I  had  lost  much  blood,  and  when  the  kind  citizens  had 
gone,  in  making  an  attempt  to  rise  from  my  chair,  I  had 
only  just  time  to  reach  my  bed  before  I  became  unconscious. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BERNABO   CECI. 

I  cannot  say  for  what  time  I  lay  thus  bereft  of  sense ; 
but  on  coming  to  myself  I  saw  the  candle  in  my  room  was 
all  but  spent,  and  the  wick  flaring  in  a  long  flame.  I  looked 
to  see  if  my  wound  had  broken  out  a-bleeding  afresh,  and 
was  glad  to  find  this  was  not  the  case,  and  that  the  bandages 
were  in  their  position.  The  small  effort,  however,  nearly 
set  me  off  once  more.  The  room  swam  round,  the  bright 
flame  of  the  candle  dwindled  down  to  a  little  star,  no  bigger 
than  a  pin  point,  and  then  began  slowly  to  increase  in  size 
as  the  faintness  passed  off,  and  I  was  able  to  see  clearly 
again.  Any  attempt  to  move  gave  me  agony,  and,  closing 
my  eyes,  I  lay  still.  I  heard  the  candle  expire  with  a 
splutter,  and  leave  me  in  darkness.  Then  I  began  to  get 
light-headed,  and  unable  to  control  my  thoughts.  Some- 
how my  mind  travelled  back  to  the  days  of  my  childhood, 
and  the  figure  of  the  only  living  relative  I  can  remember, 
my  father,  came  before  me,  standing  just  as  he  was  wont  to 
stand,  when  about  to  give  me  a  lesson  in  the  exercise  of  the 
sword,  and  repeating  a  warning  he  never  ceased  to  din  into 
my  ears.  "  Learning,"  he  said,  "  is  of  little  use  to  a  gen- 
tleman. You  need  not  know  more  of  books  than  a  Sa- 
velli  should,  but  in  horsemanship,  and  in  the  use  of  the 

sword "   he   finished  with  a   gesture   more   expressive 

than  words.     And  truly  old  Ercole  di  Savelli  was  never  a 
bookworm,  although  he  ended  a  stormy  life  in  his  bed. 

58 


BERNABO  CECI.  59 

He  was  the  son  of  that  Baptista  di  Savelli,  who  was 
ruined  with  the  Prefetti  di  Vico,  and  other  noble  houses 
during  the  time  of  Eugene  IV.  Such  estates  as  Baptista 
had,  were  transferred  with  the  person  of  his  sister  Olympia, 
who  married  into  the  Chigi,  to  that  family,  and  with  them 
the  custodianship  of  the  Conclaves.  Baptista  di  Savelli 
left  his  son  nothing  but  a  few  acres.  The  latter  tried  to 
woo  Fortune  in  the  Spanish  war,  but  did  not  obtain  her 
favours.  He  returned  to  Italy,  and  poor  as  Job  though  he 
was,  hesitated  not  to  marry  for  love,  and  engage  in  a  law- 
suit with  Amilcar  Chigi.  What  between  the  one  and  the 
other,  Ercole  was  ruined  in  a  hand  turn.  His  wife  died  in 
giving  birth  to  me,  and  disgusted  with  the  world,  he  retired 
to  a  small  estate  near  Colza  in  the  Bergamasque.  There  he 
devoted  himself  to  a  pastoral  life,  and  to  bringing  me  up  as 
a  soldier,  until,  one  fine  day,  having  contracted  a  fever, 
he  received  absolution  and  died  like  a  gentleman  and  a 
Christian. 

I  followed  the  profession  for  which  I  was  intended, 
joining  the  levy  of  the  Duke  of  Urbino,  and  sharing  in  all 
the  ups  and  downs  of  the  times,  until  Fortune  did  me  a 
good  turn  at  Fornovo.  Subsequently  things  went  well  with 
me,  and  although  I  had  to  mortgage  my  narrow  lands,  to 
raise  and  provide  equipment  for  the  men,  with  whom  I 
joined  Tremouille,  I  was  in  expectation  of  a  full  reward, 
when  I  was  so  suddenly  stricken  down. 

Thinking  of  these  things  in  the  dark,  tormented  by  a 
devouring  thirst,  which  I  was  unable  to  quench,  haunted 
by  the  impression  that  my  last  hour  was  come,  and  that  I 
should  die  here  like  a  dog,  without  even  the  last  rites  of  the 
church,  I  fell  into  a  frenzy,  and  began  to  shout  aloud,  and 
rave  as  in  a  delirium.  D'Entrangues  came  before  me,  wear- 
ing a  smile  of  triumph,  and  I  strove  impotently  to  reach. 
Then  the  whole  room  seemed  to  be  full  of  my  enemy,  from 


60  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

every  corner  I  could  see  the  white  face,  the  red  hair,  and 
the  smile  of  successful  malice.  The  figures,  each  one 
exactly  like  the  other,  floated  over  me,  stood  by  my  side, 
sometimes  brought  their  faces  within  an  inch  of  mine,  until 
I  imagined  I  felt  a  flame-like  breath  beating  on  me.  Final- 
ly they  flitted  backwards  and  forwards,  rapidly  and  more 
rapidly,  until  there  was  nothing  but  a  mass  of  moving 
shadow  around  me,  which  gradually  resolved  itself  again 
into  a  single  form.  I  strove  to  reach  for  my  sword  to  strike 
at  it,  but  my  arms  were  paralysed.  So  through  the  live- 
long night  the  phantom  stood  at  the  foot  of  my  bed,  until 
the  white  morning  came  in  at  my  window,  and  I  fell  into  a 
sleep. 

When  I  awoke,  I  found  the  old  intendant  of  the  build- 
ing bending  over  me.  The  fever  had  abated  but  the  thirst 
still  remained.  "Water,"  I  gasped  through  my  parched 
lips,  and  he  gave  me  to  drink. 

To  cut  a  long  story  short,  I  arranged  with  this  man  for 
such  attendance  as  I  should  want,  and  to  do  him  justice 
Ceci — for  that  was  his  name — performed  his  part  of  the  con- 
tract, getting  me  my  food,  attending  to  the  dressing  of  my 
wound,  to  which  he  applied  a  most  soothing  salve,  and  such 
other  offices  a  helpless  person  must  expect.  He  did  not 
trouble  me  much  with  his  presence  during  the  earlier  part 
of  my  illness,  but  came  as  occasion  required  him,  and, 
when  he  had  performed  his  work,  left  me  to  my  reflec- 
tions. 

I  may  note  here  that  I  never  again  saw  the  people  who 
helped  me  when  I  was  wounded.  Having  assisted  me  to 
my  lodging,  and  aided  me  to  dress  my  hurt,  as  I  have  said, 
they  departed,  and  apparently  gave  me  no  further  thought. 
This  I  am  persuaded  was  not  due  to  unkindly  feeling,  but 
to  prudence,  and  a  wish  to  avoid  being  mixed  up  in  an 
affair  such  as  mine  appeared  to  be ;  for  the  times  were  such, 


BERNABO  CECI.  61 

that  it  was  better  for  a  man's  head  to  be  unknown  to  the 
Magnifici  Signori  of  Florence. 

Subsequently,  when  things  changed  with  me,  I  caused 
public  cry  to  be  made,  requesting  the  worthy  citizens  to 
come  forward ;  but  my  attempt  was  of  no  avail,  beyond  pro- 
ducing a  half-dozen  or  so  of  rascal  impostors,  who  swore  to 
helping  me,  under  circumstances  that  never  occurred,  on 
the  off  chance  of  hitting  a  nail  on  the  head,  and  obtaining 
a  reward.  But  this  was  long  after  my  illness,  and  the  block 
in  the  Bargello  may  have,  since  that  time,  been  a  resting 
place  for  the  heads  of  the  good  Samaritans  for  all  I  can  say. 
I  took  a  longer  time  in  mending  than  I  thought  I  should, 
for  an  inflammation  set  in,  the  fever  came  back,  and  when 
that  was  passed  I  recovered  strength  but  slowly.  It  was  at 
this  time,  however,  that  I  discovered  the  advantage  of  read- 
ing, having  up  to  now  borne  only  too  well  in  mind  my  fa- 
ther's saying  on  that  subject. 

I  began  with  Poliziano's  Orfeo,  a  poor  affair,  and  then 
procured,  to  my  delight,  a  translation  of  Plutarch's  Lives. 
Both  these  books  were  obtained  with  the  greatest  difficulty, 
so  old  Ceci,  the  attendant  said,  from  the  library  of  a  great 
Florentine  noble,  in  which  a  nephew  of  his  was  employed 
in  copying  manuscripts,  and  the  old  man  charged  me  an 
entire  double  florin  for  the  use  of  the  latter  alone ;  an  ex- 
penditure I  grudged  at  first ;  but  which  I  would  have  will- 
ingly paid  twice  over  before  I  finished  the  volume.  I  in- 
quired the  name  of  the  nobleman ;  but  Ceci  was  not  in- 
clined to  tell  me,  and  I  gathered  that  the  owner  was  probably 
unaware  that  his  books  were  taking  an  airing,  and  enabling 
his  library-scribe  to  turn  a  dishonest  penny.  On  the  bind- 
ing of  the  Plutarch  was  pricked  a  coat-of-arms,  a  cross 
azure  on  a  field  argent,  with  four  nails  azure ;  but  I  could 
not,  for  the  life  of  me,  remember  this  device,  although  I 
had  served  in  every  part  of  Italy  except  Kome.    Finally  it 


(52  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

came  to  my  mind,  that  the  bearings,  no  doubt,  belonged  to 
some  merchant  prince  of  Florence,  and  would  therefore  be 
unlikely  to  see  anything  more  of  fighting  than  a  street  riot, 
and  therefore  I  dismissed  the  subject. 

I  did  not  neglect,  whilst  lying  in  enforced  idleness,  to 
take  such  steps  as  I  could  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of 
D'Entrangues,  and  specially  instructed  old  Ceci  to  make 
inquiries  of  the  followers  of  La  Palisse.  He  brought  me 
news  in  a  couple  of  days,  that  the  Frenchman  had  left 
Florence  a  fortnight  ago,  and  it  was  understood  he  was  go- 
ing to  join  the  army  of  Cesare  Borgia,  that  cursed  serpent 
who  was  lifting  his  head  so  high  in  the  Romagna.  This 
was  ill  news  indeed,  for  I  had  been  lying  helpless  for  close 
upon  a  month ;  but  I  was  on  the  mend  at  last,  and  resolved 
to  follow  him  as  soon  as  I  had  strength  to  travel. 

During  my  illness  I  had  frequently  thought  of  madame, 
and  with  the  thoughts  of  her,  there  mingled  recollections 
of  the  dark  eyes  of  the  lady  who  had  looked  at  me  through 
her  mask,  on  the  night  I  was  stabbed.  I  could  think  of 
madame  in  no  way  but  with  a  kindly  feeling  ;  but  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  any  recollection  of  the  other  made  my  heart 
beat,  and  I  would  have  given  much  even  to  have  obtained 
another  glance  at  her.  In  the  meantime,  however,  my  first 
business  was  to  try  and  replenish  my  funds,  for  my  sup- 
plies were  almost  exhausted  by  the  drain  made  upon  them 
during  my  illness. 

Old  Ceci,  the  intendant,  had  in  his  way  formed  a  sort  of 
attachment  for  me,  and  now  that  I  was  better,  generally 
spent  an  hour  or  so  with  me  daily  in  converse.  One  day 
I  let  out  some  hint  of  my  condition,  and  Ceci,  after  a 
little  beating  about  the  bush,  approached  me  with  a  pro- 
posal. 

"  Signore,"  he  said,  "  there  are  those  in  Florence  who 
would  like  things  changed.     We  want  our  Medici  back; 


BERNABO  CECI.  63 

but  we  want  also  a  few  good  swords,  and  I  could  tell  you  of 
a  way  to  fill  your  purse." 

"  Say  on,"  I  replied,  and  the  old  man  having  first  bound 
me  to  secrecy,  informed  me  that  certain  notables  in  Flor- 
ence wanted  a  good  sword  or  two,  to  rid  them  of  a  great 
political  opponent,  in  order  to  pave  the  way  for  the  return 
of  the  Medici ;  and  without  mentioning  names  in  any  way, 
which,  he  said,  would  be  given  to  me  later,  proposed  that  I 
should  undertake  the  task. 

I  realised  at  once  that  his  suggestion  meant  nothing 
short  of  assassination,  and  saw  that  my  old  acquaintance 
was  apparently  up  to  the  ears  in  a  political  plot.  My  first 
idea  was  to  spurn  the  suggestion  with  indignation  ;  but  re- 
flecting that  it  would  be  better  to  know  more,  and  by  this 
means,  if  possible,  save  a  man  from  being  murdered  in  cold 
blood ;  I  affected  to  treat  the  matter  seriously,  and  replied 
that  I  was  as  yet  unfit  for  active  work ;  but  that  as  soon  as 
I  was  better  I  would  discuss  the  subject  again.  He  then 
departed. 

Perhaps  the  time  will  come  when  the  minds  of  men 
will  shrink  with  horror  from  crime,  even  for  the  sake  of  a 
good  object,  and  however  much  I  loathed  the  proposal 
made  to  me,  I  could  not  but  recollect  that  the  noblest 
names  of  Milan  were  concerned  in  the  Olgiati  conspiracy, 
and  that  a  Pontiff  had  supported  the  Pazzi  attempt  on  the 
Medici.  This  being  so,  there  was  excuse  for  Ceci  and  his 
leaders,  whoever  they  were ;  but  my  whole  soul  was  wrath 
in  me  at  the  thought  that  I  had  been  deemed  capable  of 
doing  the  business  of  a  common  bravo,  and  if  it  were  not 
for  the  reason  stated  above,  I  would  have  flung  the  old  con- 
spirator out  of  the  room.  This  insult  also  had  to  go  down 
indirectly  to  D'Entrangues,  and  as  I  grew  better,  my  desire 
to  settle  with  him  rose  to  fever-heat.  The  question,  how- 
ever, was  my  resources.     Turn  which  way  I  would,  there 


64.  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

seemed  to  be  no  way  of  replenishing  them.  The  idea  pre- 
sented itself  to  me  to  join  the  Borgia,  who  with  all  his  faults 
was  ever  ready  to  take  a  long  sword  into  his  pay.  But  the 
man  was  so  great  a  monster  of  iniquity,  that,  even  to  gratify 
my  vengeance,  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  accept  the  gold 
of  St.  Valentino. 

There  were  others  to  whom  I  could  apply,  such  as  Mala- 
testa  or  De  la  Kovere  ;  but  amongst  them  I  would  be  known, 
and  the  burden  of  my  shame  too  great  to  bear.  After  all, 
it  would  perhaps  be  better  to  seek  to  fill  my  purse  in  Flor- 
ence, and  let  my  vengeance  sleep  for  a  while.  It  would  be 
all  the  sweeter  when  it  came. 

With  these  ideas  in  my  head,  I  was  sitting  one  afternoon 
at  the  little  window  of  my  room,  putting  a  finishing  touch 
to  the  edge  of  the  dagger,  which  D'Entrangues  had  left 
with,  or  rather  in  me,  and  congratulating  myself  that  the 
blade  was  not  a  poisoned  one,  when  I  heard,  as  from  a  dis- 
tance a  hum  of  voices,  which  gradually  swelled  into  a  great 
roar,  and  above  this  the  clanging  of  a  bell  with  a  peculiar 
discordant  note.  Almost  at  the  same  time  old  Ceci  bus- 
tled into  my  room,  evidently  in  a  state  of  high  excitement, 
and  called  out — 

"  Messer  Donati — Messer  Donati !  It  is  to  be  war — war ! " 

I  should  add  here  that  I  had  judged  it  prudent  to  take 
another  name  on  entering  Florence,  and  adopted  the  first 
one  that  struck  me,  although  I  afterwards  thought  that 
Donati  was  not  quite  the  name  to  win  favour  with  the  Flor- 
entines, amongst  whom  the  memory  of  Messer  Corso  was 
still  green,  although  so  many  years  had  passed  since  he  was 
done  with.  Whether  I  let  my  own  name  out  or  not  during 
my  illness  I  am  unable  to  say ;  at  any  rate,  Ceci  never  gave 
me  any  such  hint.  The  news  the  old  man  brought  was  not 
unexpected  by  me,  yet  I  caught  a  touch  of  his  excitement 
and  answered — 


BERNABO  CECI.  65 

«  War— where  ?    Tell  me." 

"  It  is  this  way,  signore ;  Naples  has  risen,  and  the  Great 
Captain  has  driven  D'Aubigny  out  of  Calabria,  all  the  Ro- 
magna  has  gone  from  Cesare  as  that,"  he  waved  his  hand 
as  if  throwing  a  feather  in  the  air. 

"  The  Holy  Father  has  cast  his  interdict  on  Florence, 
and  Pisa  is  burning  the  Val  di  Nievole." 

"  The  devil !  "  I  exclaimed,  "  this  is  more  than  I  thought. 
The  interdict  is  bad,  Messer  Ceci."  • 

He  grinned  as  he  answered,  "  Bad  for  the  Pope.  Med- 
ici or  no  Medici  we  will  not  have  a  priest  interfering  in 
Florence." 

"  I  see,"  I  said,  "  you  are  Florentine  first,  and  conspira- 
tor afterwards ;  but  how  do  the  French  stand? " 

"  With  us,  for  we  pay.  It  is  said,  however,  that  things 
are  uncertain  with  them,  that  Monsignore  d'Amboise,  who 
is  now  Cardinal  of  Rouen,  has  gone  to  Rome,  and  that  Tre- 
mouille  is  awaiting  the  king." 

"  The  king  !  Louis  is  at  Macon." 

"  Yes,  Louis  himself,  and  the  Lord  knows  how  many 
barons  besides,  with  pedigrees  as  long  as  their  swords,  who 
will  eat  up  our  corn,  and  pillage  our  vineyards  from  the 
Alps  to  the  Adriatic.  But  I  came  here  to  ask,  signore,  if 
you  will  como  with  me  to  see.  It  is  hurry  and  make  haste 
for  I  cannot  wait.     The  Carroccio  has  left  St.  John's." 

I  had  almost  recovered  my  full  strength,  and  was  accus- 
tomed to  walk  out  daily  at  dusk  in  order  to  avoid  observa- 
tion, whilst  at  the  same  time  I  could  by  doing  so  exercise 
my  muscles ;  yet  at  first  I  felt  inclined  to  decline  Ceci's  in- 
vitation, alleging  weakness  as  my  excuse,  for  my  anger  was 
still  warm  against  him  on  account  of  his  proposals  to  me. 
Reflecting,  however,  that  if  I  offended  him,  it  would  prob- 
ably fatally  injure  any  prospect  I  had  of  saving  the  person 
whom  the  conspirators  intended  to  kill,  I  thought  it  best  to 


6Q  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI.] 

affect  a  friendliness  I  did  not  feel,  and  changing  my  mind 
in  regard  to  accompanying  him,  slipped  on  my  sword,  and 
followed  the  old  man  downstairs.  We  hastened  as  fast  as 
we  could  to  the  great  square.  The  people  were  swarming 
out  of  the  houses,  and  the  streets  were  full  of  a  hurrying 
throng,  all  directing  their  steps  to  the  point,  whence  we 
could  hear  the  bellowing  of  the  mob,  echoed  with  answering 
cheers  by  those  making  towards  the  place  of  assembly. 
Around  us  there  was  a  murmur  like  that  of  millions  of  bees, 
as  men,  women,  and  children,  jostled  their  way  to  the  Pal- 
ace of  the  Signory.  My  companion,  who  stopped  every 
now  and  again  to  open  his  jaws  as  wide  as  the  mouth 
of  a  saddle-bag,  and  give  forth  a  yell,  hustled  along  at  a 
great  pace,  and  I  made  after  him  with  scarcely  less 
speed. 

By  good  fortune,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  pushing, 
we  made  our  way  through  the  press,  which  appeared  to  me 
to  be  composed  entirely  of  elbows,  and  at  last  reached  the 
market-place.  Here  the  crowd  behind  us  slowly  drove  us 
forwards,  and  finally  gave  us  the  advantage  of  a  good  posi- 
tion. The  square  was  lined  with  men-at-arms  and  stout 
citizens,  with  boar-spears  in  their  hands. 

All  at  once  there  went  up  a  shout  louder  than  ever,  the 
crowd  swayed  backwards  and  forwards,  then  opened  out, 
and  admitted  the  Carroccio  or  war-car  in  Florence.  It  was 
painted  red,  and  drawn  by  oxen  housed  in  red  trappings. 
The  great  beasts  had  dragged  the  car  slowly  from  the  chapel 
of  St.  John's,  where  it  stood  in  times  of  peace,  and  laboured 
along  under  its  weight.  From  the  car  itself  projected  two 
poles  on  which  hung  the  banner  of  the  Commonwealth,  a 
red  giglio  on  a  white  field.  Immediately  behind  this  came 
another  car,  bearing  the  Martinello  or  war-bell,  which  was 
incessantly  clanging  out  its  angry  notes.  It  was  to  ring 
now  for  a  full  month,  without  ceasing. 


BERNABO  CECI.  67 

Around  the  cars  were  the  principal  nobles  of  the  city, 
and  the  oxen  being  guided  to  the  "  bankrupt  stone,"  were 
there  unharnessed.  Pietro  Soderini,  the  brother  of  his  emi- 
nence of  Volterra,  who  was  then  Gonfaloniere  for  life,  raised 
his  hand.  In  a  moment  there  was  silence,  and  the  vast 
audience  listened  to  the  brief  oration  that  fell  from  the  lips 
of  their  chief  magistrate.  He  painted  in  stirring  words  the 
dangers  of  the  times ;  he  called  to  the  people  to  forget  party- 
hatreds  in  the  face  of  the  common  crisis ;  he  appealed  to 
their  past,  and  then  concluded  :  "  Therefore,"  said  he,  "  for 
the  safety  of  the  State,  have  we  to  whom  that  safety  is  en- 
trusted put  our  hope  in  God,  and  our  hands  to  the  sword. 
Citizens,  we  give  to  our  enemies,  to  Home,  and  to  Spain, 
war,  red  war — and  God  defend  the  right !  "  With  that,  he 
drew  off  his  glove  of  mail  and  flung  it  on  the  pavement, 
where  it  fell  with  a  sudden  crash. 

The  silence  of  the  crowd  continued  for  a  little,  and 
then,  from  forty  thousand  throats  rang  out  cheer  after 
cheer,  as  the  sturdy  citizens  roared  out  their  approval  of 
the  gage  thrown  down. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  some  partisan  of  the  Medici, 
hysterically  excited,  raised  a  shout  of  Palle  !  Palle  ! 

"  Blood  of  St.  John ! "  exclaimed  Ceci,  "  who  is  that 
fool?    He  will  die." 

It  was  the  well-known  cry  of  the  exiled  Medici,  and  it 
drove  the  crowd  to  madness.  Instantly  there  was  an  answer- 
ing yell. 

"Popolo!  Popolo!  Death  to  tyrants!"  I  cannot  tell 
what  happened  exactly ;  but  in  the  distance,  I  saw  a  man 
being  tossed  and  torn  by  the  mob.  For  a  moment,  his 
white  face  rose  above  the  sea  of  heads,  with  all  the  despair 
in  it  that  the  face  of  a  drowning  man  has,  when  it  rises  for 
the  last  time  above  the  waves ;  then  it  sank  back,  and  some- 
thing mangled  and  shapeless  was  flung  out  into  the  piazza, 


68  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

where  it  lay  very  still.    I  stood  awestruck  by  this  ven- 
geance. 

"  Yet  the  Medici  will  come  back,  signore  ! " 
Ceci  whispered  this  in  my  ear,  as  he  stood  with  his  hand 
on  my  shoulder. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   GARDEN  OF  ST.   MICHAEL. 

On  our  way  back  Ceci  was  somehow  separated  from  me, 
whether  by  accident  or  design,  I  cannot  say.  I  did  not 
quite  regret  this,  as  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  see  as 
little  as  possible  of  him  for  the  future,  thinking  he  had 
repaid  himself  for  his  kindness,  by  the  proposals  he  had 
made  to  me.  Indeed,  I  may  say  I  never  sought  his  society, 
although,  until  he  showed  his  hand,  his  visits  and  conversa- 
tion gave  me  some  pleasure,  for  notwithstanding  his  posi- 
tion, he  was  a  well-informed  man,  who,  in  the  earlier  part 
of  his  life,  must  have  seen  better  days,  and  perhaps  hoped 
to  see  them  again,  if  his  plot  succeeded.  The  words  he  had 
let  drop,  to  the  effect  that  the  Medici  would  come  back,  had 
given  mo  a  hint  as  to  what  that  plot  was.  It  was  evident 
that  my  old  friend  was  an  active  member  of  the  Bigi,  or 
Grey  Party  in  Florence,  that  were  then  working  secretly 
for  the  restoration  of  Lorenzo's  sons.  It  seemed  clear  too, 
that  the  attempt  to  be  made,  was  to  be  directed  against 
some  very  eminent  member  of  the  State — perhaps  the  Gon- 
faloniere  himself,  and  I  began  to  wonder  if  it  was  not  my 
duty  to  lay  the  information  I  had  before  the  Signory.  I 
could  not,  however,  reconcile  this  with  my  promise  of  si- 
lence, and  therefore  my  tongue  was  tied.  Still  I  could  not 
sit  tamely  by,  and  see  a  man  murdered  in  cold  blood,  and  I 
decided  therefore,  to  remain  in  Florence  somehow,  and  if 

69 


70  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

possible  avert  the  crime,  although  it  would  interfere,  no 
doubt,  with  my  own  business.  But  one  cannot  always  be 
thinking  of  one's  self.  Perhaps  also,  though  not  quite  con- 
scious of  it  then,  I  had  some  idea  of  again  meeting  the  un- 
known lady  of  the  gala  procession,  in  whom,  in  spite  of  my- 
self, I  felt  I  was  taking  too  great  an  interest. 

During  the  night  I  had  but  little  sleep,  for  the  affair  of 
the  mad  partisan  of  the  Medici,  and  the  declaration  of  war, 
had  roused  the  citizens  to  fever  heat,  and  all  night  long, 
crowds  thronged  the  streets,  their  hoarse  shouts  of  Popolo  ! 
Popolo  !  mingling  with  the  incessant  clanging  of  the  war- 
bell,  which  itself  was  loud  enough  to  wake  the  dead.  The 
next  day,  however,  I  resolved  to  take  the  bull  by  the  horns, 
and  with  a  view  to  fill  my  purse,  determined  to  present  my- 
self before  La  Palisse,  and  offer  him  my  sword.  I  sallied 
out,  therefore,  finding  the  streets  fairly  empty,  the  all-night 
indignation  meeting  of  the  Florentines  having  wearied 
them  a  little.  Still,  however,  there  were  knots  of  people 
here  and  there,  all  in  a  more  or  less  excited  condition.  I 
was  in  no  particular  hurry,  and  taking  a  lesson  from  the 
snail,  went  at  a  leisurely  pace,  and  eventually  reached  the 
headquarters  of  La  Palisse,  which  were  in  the  Medicean 
palace,  in  the  Via  Larga.  The  courtyard  and  entrance- 
hall  were  full  of  soldiers,  and  evidently  active  preparations 
for  the  campaign  were  in  progress,  for  there  was  a  continu- 
ous stream  of  people  going  in  and  out.  No  one  took  any 
notice  of  me,  and  holding  my  cap  in  one  hand,  and  straight- 
ening the  feather  on  it  with  the  fingers  of  the  other,  I  ad- 
vanced unquestioned  through  the  crowded  rooms.  In  this 
manner  I  proceeded  until  I  came  to  a  gallery,  on  one  flank 
of  which  there  was  a  series  of  windows  overlooking  the 
street;  at  the  end  of  the  gallery  hung  a  purple  curtain, 
covering,  as  it  happened,  an  open  door.  On  the  curtain 
itself  was  embroidered  a  crimson  shield,  bearing  the  palle  of 


THE  GARDEN  OF  ST.  MICHAEL.  ?1 

the  Medici.  Before  this  I  was  stopped  by  a  young  officer, 
who  asked  me  my  business,  and  I  replied  it  was  with  La 
Palisse  himself. 

"  Impossible  ! "  he  replied ;  "  you  cannct  see  the  General." 

"  Why  not,  signore  ?  " 

"  Tush,  man  !  You  look  old  enough  to  understand  that 
orders  are  orders." 

"  What  is  it,  De  Brienne  ? "  a  sharp  voice  called  out 
from  within.  The  officer  lifted  the  curtain,  and  went  in- 
side. I  was  determined  to  gain  an  interview  with  the  great 
man,  and  had  therefore  said  my  business  was  of  importance. 
The  leanness  of  my  purse  is  my  excuse  for  the  subterfuge, 
which  I  subsequently  regretted,  as  will  be  seen  further  on. 
Shortly  after  De  Brienne  came  out.  "  Well,  messer — 
messer " 

"  Donati,"  I  said. 

"  Well,  Donati,  the  General  will  see  you.  You  may  enter." 

I  accordingly  did  so,  and  found  myself  in  the  presence 
of  a  short,  thick-set  man,  seated  at  a  small  table,  on  which 
was  spread  a  map,  over  which  he  was  looking  intently.  In 
a  corner  of  the  room  lay  his  helmet  and  sword,  and  he  him- 
self was  in  half-mail,  wearing  a  Milanese  corselet,  on  which 
was  emblazoned  the  red  dragon  of  his  house.  As  his  head 
was  bent  over  the  paper,  I  could  not  at  first  make  out  his 
features,  and  remained  standing  patiently.  Suddenly  he 
lifted  his  face,  and  looked  at  me  with  a  quick  "  Well — your 
business,  sir  ?  " 

I  was  accustomed  to  strange  sights,  but  for  the  moment 
was  startled,  so  horribly  disfigured  was  the  man.  The  sight 
of  one  eye  was  completely  gone,  and  half  his  face  looked  as 
if  a  red-hot  gridiron  had  been  pressed  against  it.  The  other 
eye  was  intact,  and  twinkled  ferociously  under  its  bushy 
grey  eyebrow.  I  recovered  myself  quickly,  and  made  my 
request  in  as  few  words  as  possible.     He  became  enraged  as 


72  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

I  finished.  "  Bah  !  "  he  said,  "  I  thought  your  business  was 
of  importance.  I  can  do  nothing  for  you,  my  list  is  full. 
You  have  gained  admission  to  me  under  a  pretence — go !  " 
and  he  resumed  his  study  of  the  map.  I  would  have  urged 
the  matter,  but  all  my  pride  was  aroused  at  his  words,  and 
so,  with  a  short  good-day,  I  turned  on  my  heel  and  walked 
out.  Passing  through  the  gallery,  I  saw  De  Brienne,  lean- 
ing against  an  open  window,  talking  to  another  young  offi- 
cer. They  both  looked  at  me,  and  burst  into  a  loud  laugh. 
At  any  other  time  I  might  have  treated  this  with  contempt, 
but  I  was  sore  all  over  at  my  reception,  and  approaching  the 
two  said,  "  You  seem  amused,  gentlemen — it  is  not  well  to 
laugh  at  distress." 

They  stopped  their  laughter,  staring  haughtily  at  me, 
and  De  Brienne  said,  "  Your  way,  signore,  lies  before  you," 
and  he  pointed  down  the  corridor. 

"  Perhaps  the  Signor  de  Brienne  would  care  to  accom- 
pany me — unless,"  and  I  looked  him  steadily  in  the  face. 

"  Unless  what  ?  "  De  Brienne  flushed  angrily. 

At  this  moment  we  heard  a  hasty  footstep  on  the  marble 
floor,  and  La  Palisse  advanced.  "  Still  here,"  he  said  to  me, 
"  did  I  not  tell  you  to  begone  ?  " 

"  My  business  is  with  the  Signor  de  Brienne,"  I  replied 
stiffly,  for  my  blood  was  hot  within  me. 

"  I  am  quite  prepared,"  began  De  Brienne,  but  the  free- 
captain  interposed. 

"  Not  in  the  least.  I  cannot  allow  my  officers  to  go 
fighting  with  every  croque-mort,  who  comes  here  with  a 
long  sword  and  a  lying  story.  Look  at  him,  De  Brienne — 
every  inch  a  bravo !  Harkee,  Donati !  Begone  at  once. 
Not  another  word,  or  by  God,  I  will  have  you  hanged  from 
the  nearest  window  ! " 

It  did  not  require  me  to  carry  my  perception  in  my 
right  hand,  to  be  aware  that  La  Palisse  was  capable  of  ful- 


THE  GARDEN  OF  ST.  MICHAEL.  73 

filling  his  threat,  and  although  I  was  inclined  to  draw  on 
him  there  and  then,  I  knew  what  the  ultimate  results 
would  be.  So  swallowing  my  pride  as  best  I  could,  and  re- 
gretting the  ill-humour  which  had  subjected  me  to  this  in- 
sult, I  stalked  into  the  street. 

I  made  my  way  to  my  ordinary,  and  sat  there  to  cool, 
which  took  some  time.  I  was  able  to  see,  that  the  rebuff  I 
received  was  due  in  great  part  to  my  own  mismanagement ; 
also  that  there  was  no  hope  for  me  from  La  Palisse,  and 
that  my  steps  must  turn  elsewhere  if  I  wished  my  purse  to 
show  a  full-fed  appearance.  I  dined  sparingly,  drinking 
but  a  half  measure  of  Chianti,  which  I  mixed  with  water, 
and  it  made  but  a  thin  fluid.  When  I  finished  my  slender 
repast,  there  was  nothing  left  but  to  kill  time.  It  was  use- 
less to  go  back  to  my  lodging  ;  for  want  of  funds  had  com- 
pelled me  to  discontinue,  until  better  times,  my  newly 
acquired  habit  of  reading,  and  Ceci,  despite  the  kindness 
he  had  shown  me,  was  precise  in  the  exaction  of  payment 
for  offices  performed  by  him.  No  more  indeed  could  be 
expected  from  a  huckstering  mind  such  as  his,  inherited 
no  doubt  from  a  line  of  bargaining  citizens,  whose  hearts 
were  in  their  bales  of  wool.  So  I  strolled  towards  the  gar- 
den of  St.  Michael,  passing  on  the  way  the  piazzi,  where 
there  were  still  numbers  assembled,  and  wondering  at  the 
implacable  hatred  of  the  Florentines  towards  their  noblest 
blood,  a  hatred  they  carried  so  far,  as  to  build  the  walls  of 
the  Palace  of  the  Signory  obliquely,  rather  than  they  should 
touch  the  spot  where  the  Uberti  once  dwelt.  And  this  set 
me  reflecting  on  the  unreasoning  stupidity  of  the  canaille, 
in  their  enmity  towards  gentle  blood.  Perhaps  I  was  a 
little  influenced  in  these  thoughts,  from  the  fact  that  the 
Uberti  were  connected  by  marriage  with  the  Savelli,  a 
daughter  of  Maso  degli  Uberti  having  wedded  that  Baptista 

di  Savelli  who  upheld  by  force  of  arms  his  right  to  attend 
6 


74  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

the  Conclave  of  Cardinals.  It  was  sad  to  think  that  of  the 
Uberti  not  one  was  left,  and  of  the  Savelli — I  alone.  I  will 
not  include  the  Chigi,  for  they  come  through  the  female 
line,  and  although  Amilcar  Chigi,  the  son  of  my  father's  old 
enemy,  subsequently  made  advances  of  friendship  towards 
me,  I  felt  bound  to  explain  to  him  that  I  was  the  head  of 
the  house,  despite  the  broad  lands  his  father  got  with  his 
mother  Olympia,  by  an  unjust  decree  of  the  Chamber  of 
Lies.  This,  however,  is  a  family  affair,  which  does  not  con- 
cern the  narration  in  hand.  Having  reached  the  garden,  I 
sat  myself  to  rest  on  a  stone  seat,  set  against  a  wall  over- 
hung by  a  large  tree.  At  the  further  end  of  the  walk  were 
two  ladies  in  earnest  conversation.  Their  backs  were  to  me 
at  first,  but  on  arriving  at  the  end  of  the  walk,  they  turned 
slowly  round,  and  came  towards  me.  As  they  approached, 
I  was  almost  sure  they  were  the  two  I  had  seen  in  the  gala 
procession,  and  my  doubts  were  soon  at  rest,  for,  on  passing, 
they  glanced  at  me  with  idle  curiosity,  and  in  a  moment  I 
recognised  them  by  their  air  and  gait.  On  this  occasion 
they  wore  no  masks,  and  I  saw  they  were  both  young  and 
passing  fair.  The  face  of  the  shorter  of  the  two,  whose 
figure  had  a  matronly  cast,  was  set  in  a  mass  of  light  hair, 
and  looked  brimful  of  good-humour.  The  other,  who,  in 
marked  contrast  to  her  companion,  had  dark  hair  and  dark 
eyes,  possessed  a  countenance  of  exceeding  beauty,  marred 
perhaps  by  its  expression  of  pride.  Be  that  as  it  may,  my 
blood  began  to  tingle  as  I  saw  her,  and  an  indefinite  thought 
of  what  might  have  been  rose  into  my  mind.  When  they 
had  gone  a  few  yards,  the  one,  whom  I  took  to  be  a  married 
woman,  said  something  to  her  friend,  and  glanced  over  her 
shoulder ;  but  the  other  appeared  to  reprove  the  remark,  in- 
creasing as  she  did  so  the  pride  of  her  carriage.  I  wondered 
to  myself  that  two  ladies,  should  be  out  unattended,  in  so 
sequestered  a  spot,  at  a  time  too  when  the  city  was  so  full 


THE  GARDEN  OF  ST.  MICHAEL.  75 

of  excitement,  and  watched  them  as  they  turned  the  corner 
of  the  walk,  and  went  out  of  sight  beyond  the  trees.  I  be- 
gan in  a  useless  manner  to  speculate  who  they  were,  and  to 
weave  together  a  little  romance  in  my  heart,  when  I  was 
startled  by  a  shriek,  and  the  next  moment  the  fair-haired 
lady  came  running  round  the  corner  of  the  road,  crying  for 
help.  It  was  not  fifty  yards,  and  in  less  time  than  I  take 
to  write  this,  I  whipped  out  my  sword,  and  was  hurrying  to 
the  spot.  I  saw,  when  I  reached,  the  taller  lady  struggling 
in  the  arms  of  an  ill-looking  ruffian.  She  called  out  on  my 
coming,  and  the  man,  loosening  his  hold,  was  about  to 
make  off,  when,  unwilling  to  soil  my  sword  with  the  blood 
of  a  low-born  scoundrel,  I  struck  at  him  with  my  fist,  and 
the  cross  handle  of  the  sword  clenched  in  my  hand,  inflicted 
an  ugly  gash  on  his  forehead,  besides  bringing  him  down. 
I  stood  with  the  point  of  my  sword  over  him,  and  the 
affrighted  women  behind  me. 

"  Hold,  signore ! "  he  cried,  "  enough  !  I  yield — what ! 
Would  you  draw  on  a  friend  ?  " 

"  A  friend  ?  "  I  said  in  astonishment,  as  he  slowly  rose 
to  his  feet. 

"  Yes,  Signor  di  Savelli,  were  you  on  Monte  San  Michele 
now,  you  would  sing  a  different  tune." 

"  Piero  Luigi,  then  it  is  you,"  I  said  ;  "  well,  scoundrel, 
I  am  not  on  Monte  San  Michele,  but  you  are  here,  and  will 
shortly  be  before  Messer  the  Gonfaloniere,  unless  you  restore 
at  once  what  you  have  doubtless  robbed  from  these  ladies 
and  beg  their  pardon.  Stop  !  if  you  attempt  to  move,  I  will 
spit  you  like  a  lark." 

"  I  have  taken  nothing,"  he  said,  "  let  me  go  ;  I  am 
punished  enough." 

"  That  is  true,  sir,"  said  one  of  the  ladies,  "  and  we  pray 
you  let  the  man  go." 

"  Not  till  he  has  begged  your  pardon,"  I  replied. 


76  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

Luigi  did  as  he  was  bid,  and  humbly  apologised;  but 
as  he  left,  he  discharged  a  Parthian  shot :  "  Ah,  ladies !  I 
sought  but  a  kiss.  I  am  but  a  poor  thief — a  crow — but  the 
Signor  di  Savelli  is  no  better,  though  he  flies  with  hawk's 
wings." 

I  took  no  notice  of  the  remark ;  and,  lifting  my  cap, 
begged  permission  to  see  the  ladies  to  a  place  of  safety. 

"  We  thank  you  for  your  kindness,  sir,"  said  the  shorter 
and  elder  of  the  two,  "  but  I  see  our  servants  approaching, 
and  we  will  not  therefore  trespass  on  you.  Believe  me, 
however,  we  are  grateful — my  cousin  and  I." 

Even  as  she  spoke  her  lackeys  came  up,  and  one  of  them? 
in  an  alarmed  tone,  asked  what  was  the  matter,  and  turned 
on  me  fiercely. 

"  Be  quiet,  Gian,"  said  the  lady  who  had  just  spoken, "  it 
is  we  who  have  to  thank  Signor  di  Savelli  for  rescuing  us." 

"  Your  pardon,  signore ;  but  we  heard  the  ladies  cry  out, 
and  seeing  you  here " 

"  Where  you  should  have  been,"  I  interrupted,  "  you  lag 
too  far  behind  your  mistress." 

The  dark-haired  girl,  who  had  up  to  now  not  spoken, 
but,  with  her  face  very  pale,  was  playing  with  a  bracelet  on 
her  wrist,  now  looked  up. 

"I  think  we  had  better  get  back,  we  will  not  trouble 
this — this  gentleman  further.  He  has  already  done  too 
much  for  us." 

She  dropped  me  a  proud  little  curtsey,  and  turned  away, 
but  her  friend  frankly  held  out  her  hand.  "  Believe  me, 
Signor  di  Savelli — I  heard  you  so  called — my  cousin  Angiola 
and  I  are  both  very  grateful.  She  is  a  good  deal  upset  by 
what  has  happened,  and  I  speak  for  her.  My  husband," 
she  went  on  hurriedly,  "has  much  influence,  and  if  any 
word " 

She  stopped  a  little  helplessly,  and  seeing  she  had  ob- 


THE  GARDEN  OP  ST.  MICHAEL.  77 

served  my  appearance,  and  anxious  to  end  the  affair,  I  cut 
in — 

"  Madam,  I  did  nothing  but  drive  off  a  cur — you  thank 
me  too  much.     Good  day  ! " 

I  stood  cap  in  hand  until  they  turned  the  elbow  of  the 
walk,  and  then  retraced  my  steps  to  my  lodging.  As  I 
went  back,  I  could  not  help  railing  at  my  luck.  I  was 
enabled  to  do  a  service,  which,  for  no  reason  I  could  assign, 
I  would  rather  have  done  to  this  particular  woman  than 
any  other — a  service  which  should  have  made  her  look 
kindly  at  me,  and  yet  by  a  cruel  stroke  she  was  made  to 
think  me  nothing  else  but  a  thief,  for  Luigi's  charge  was 
definite,  and  it  was  clear  I  knew  him.  My  name  was  also 
known  to  her,  and  perhaps  the  rest  of  my  story,  as  it  was 
understood  by  the  public,  would  be  told  to  her,  and  then, 
adieu  to  my  little  romance,  if  it  was  not  adieu  already. 
Then  again  what  business  had  I  to  have  any  such  thoughts? 
I  had  yet  to  learn  that  these  things  come  unbidden,  and 
when  they  come,  take  no  denial.  Thinking  in  this  way  as 
I  walked  on,  I  was  surprised  to  find  I  had  reached  the  old 
Albizzi  Palace.  This  building,  like  all  the  other  houses  of 
the  nobles  of  Florence,  was  fortified  with  braccia  or  towers, 
joined  to  each  other  by  bridges.  These  towers  formed  ref- 
uges during  interurban  wars,  and  stood  many  a  siege  from 
the  people.  The  Albizzi  Palace  had  four  such  braccia,  but 
the  two  towards  the  Ultrarno  quarter  had  been  half  demol- 
ished in  some  forgotten  riot,  and  never  restored.  The  others 
were  however  intact,  although  the  bridge  between  them  had 
long  since  given  way.  It  was  in  one  of  these  that  I  had 
my  abode,  and  reaching  it  about  sundown,  began  to  slowly 
ascend  the  dark  stairs  which  led  to  my  chamber.  Occa- 
sionally I  stopped  and  rested,  and  it  was  during  one  of  these 
rests  that  I  looked  up  to  the  landing  above  me.  It  was  still 
in  light ;  for  the  setting  sun  shone  through  a  giglio  shaped 


78  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

window  in  the  western  wall.  As  I  glanced  up,  a  figure  sud- 
denly appeared  at  the  head  of  the  stairway,  and  leaning  one 
hand  on  the  balustrade,  peered  down  into  the  dim  light 
below  it.  I  recognised  the  extraordinary  dress  at  once,  and 
a  moment's  survey  of  the  face  assured  me  it  was  my  host 
of  the  hovel,  he  who  had  so  strangely  disappeared  with  the 
girl,  when  I  fought  with  Brico  at  Perugia. 

"  A  good  day  to  you,  friend  !  "  I  called  out,  "  and  well 
met." 

"  Who  calls?    Who  is  there?  "  he  answered. 

"  One  moment,  let  me  climb  up  these  stairs,"  and  I 
made  my  way  to  the  landing,  and  held  out  my  hand. 

He  took  it  in  silence,  but  his  grip  was  warm. 

"  Signore,"  he  said  after  a  moment,  "  I  do  not  know 
your  name;  but  whoever  you  are,  Mathew  Corte  owes  you 
much,  and  will  some  day  show  himself  grateful." 

"  My  name,"  I  said,  "  for  the  present  is  Donati,  and  as 
for  gratitude  there  is  no  need  to  speak  of  it." 

As  he  mentioned  his  name,  I  remembered  that  there 
was  a  madman  so  called,  who  had  come  into  notoriety  years 
ago,  by  asserting  that  he  had  discovered  the  secret  of  pro- 
longing life  to  a  hundred  and  twenty  years.  He  had,  I 
heard,  written  a  book  in  which  this  was  fully  described,  and 
presented  it  to  the  Cibo  pope,  with  the  inscription,  videbis 
dies  Petri  et  ultra.  Long  after,  I  heard  Cardinal  Bembo 
tell,  in  his  witty  way,  how  this  same  Corte  presented  his 
book  to  three  successive  popes,  ending  with  Innocent  of 
Genoa,  adding  that  he  took  care  on  each  occasion  to  sub- 
stitute a  new  title-page  and  dedication.  "  But,"  the  cardi- 
nal was  wont  to  add,  "  it  is  against  the  canon,  for  our  Lord 
the  Pope  to  go  in  any  matter,  even  in  life,  beyond  the  Holy 
Apostle,  and  therefore,  no  doubt,  the  worthy  doctor's  pre- 
scriptions were  not  followed.  Such  are  the  sacrifices  the 
church  has  to  make." 


THE  GARDEN  OF  ST.   MICHAEL.  79 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Some  days." 

"  And  we  have  never  met !  " 

"  Ah !  The  place  is  like  a  rabbit-warren.  There  are 
hundreds  here.     But  it  is  odd  that  I  have  never  seen  you." 

"  Not  so  very  odd  when  I  come  to  think  of  it,"  and  I 
looked  down  at  my  shabby  attire.  "  It  is  generally  late 
when  I  go  out." 

He  held  out  one  leg,  clothed  in  its  fantastic  dress. 

"  I  too  am  on  the  rocks,"  and  he  laughed  bitterly,  "  and 
feed  with  the  goats." 

Wishing  to  change  the  subject,  I  inquired  about  the 
girl.  lie  turned  away  to  the  window,  and  when  he  looked 
back  the  man's  eyes  were  full  of  tears. 

"  Would  you  care  to  see  ? "  he  asked,  with  a  shake  in 
his  voice. 

I  bowed  gravely,  and  he  conducted  me  upstairs,  fully 
two  flights  beyond  my  room,  and  then  stopped  on  a  small 
landing.  Through  the  half-open  door  that  faced  us,  a  little 
dog  came  out,  and  looked  wistfully  at  Corte.  He  stooped 
to  stroke  it,  and  then  rising,  passed  into  the  room.  When 
he  had  gone  beyond  the  door,  he  looked  back  at  me,  saying 
"  enter." 

I  did  so  with  gentle  footsteps,  and  he  pointed  to  a  bed 
in  the  corner  of  the  room,  on  which  was  the  figure  of  a 
woman,  lying  so  still  and  motionless,  that  she  might  have 
been  an  image  of  wax.  Her  plentiful  brown  hair  was 
spread  over  the  pillow,  and  out  of  this  frame,  the  pinched 
white  face,  with  all  its  traces  of  past  beauty,  looked  out  in 
a  pitiful  silence.  One  thin  hand  was  turned  palm  down- 
wards on  the  coverlet,  and,  as  we  stood,  the  fingers  began 
to  work  convulsively. 

Corte  bent  over  her  forehead  and  touched  it  with  his 
lips.     "  Little  one,"  he  said,  "  do  you  sleep  ?" 


gO  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

The  girl  opened  her  sightless  eyes,  and  a  faint  smile, 
that  lightened  her  face,  making  it  wondrous  beautiful, 
passed  over  her  countenance. 

"  Not  yet."  She  spoke  so  low  I  could  hardly  catch  the 
words,  "  but  I  shall  sleep  soon." 

I  knew  what  she  meant,  for  in  her  face  was  already  that 
look  which  comes  to  those  who  are  going  away.  Corte  was 
however  unable  to  judge.  "  She  is  better,"  he  said,  "  I 
will  give  her  some  more  wine — all  that  she  needs  is  strength 
— my  little  one."  With  this  he  turned  to  a  cupboard,  and 
opening  it,  took  thenceforth  a  bottle  of  wine ;  with  shak- 
ing fingers  he  tried  to  fill  a  glass;  but  the  bottle  was 
empty. 

"  I  forgot,"  he  said,  and  looked  hopelessly  around  him. 
There  was  that  in  the  man's  face  which  made  me  read  it  as 
an  open  book. 

"  Stay  here,"  I  whispered,  "  I  will  be  back  soon — very 
soon." 

He  looked  at  me  in  a  dazed  sort  of  manner,  but  I  waited 
for  no  reply,  and,  slipping  out  of  the  room,  ran  as  fast  as  I 
could  downstairs,  and  through  the  darkening  streets  to  the 
nearest  inn.  Calling  the  landlord  I  asked  him  what  was 
his  best  wine. 

"  My  best  wine,  signore  !  All  my  wines  are  good.  There 
is  Chianti  from  our  own  Tuscan  grape,  Lacryma  Christ] 
from  Naples,  Barolo  from  Piedmont,  Eoman  Orvieto  and 
White  Vernaccia  of  the  same  brand  that  the  Cardinal  Ip< 
polite  d'Este " 

"  Fool,"  I  interrupted,  "  answer  my  question.  What 
is  your  best  wine  ?     Have  you  any  of  the  wines  of  France  ?  " 

"  Wines  of  France ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  Corpo  di  Bacco  ! 
Does  not  your  excellency  know  that  La  Palisse  and  his 
French  cut-throats  have  been  here  for  a  month?  Think 
you  there  is  a  bottle  of  red  Eoussilon  or  Armagnac  left  in 


THE  GARDEN  OP  ST.   MICHAEL.  81 

Florence  ?  There  lie,  however,  in  my  cellar,  two  flagons  of 
Burgundy." 

"  Fetch  one  at  once — run,  man ! "  and  I  flung  him  a 
crown. 

After  a  short  delay,  which  seemed  ages  to  me,  messer 
the  padrone  reappeared  with  the  flagon  of  Burgundy  under 
his  arm,  and  seizing  it  from  him,  I  ran  back  to  the  Albizzi 
Palace,  and  hurried  up  the  stairs  to  the  room  occupied  by 
Corte.  Although  I  had  been  away  barely  half  an  hour, 
that  was  sufficient  time  to  make  a  change  for  the  worse  in 
the  sick  girl,  and  I  became  aware  that  the  end  had  begun. 
We  tried  to  force  a  little  of  the  wine  between  her  lips ;  but 
she  could  not  swallow,  and  now  instead  of  lying  still,  kept 
tossing  her  head  from  side  to  side.  Corte  was  undone.  He 
could  do  nothing  but  stand  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  in  mute 
despair,  as  he  watched  the  parting  soul  sob  its  way  out. 

I  went  towards  him  :  "  Shall  I  send  the  intendant  for  a 
priest?" 

If  ever  words  changed  the  countenance  of  a  man,  mine 
did.  His  eyes  fairly  blazed  with  anger,  and  he  hissed  out, 
"  No,  signore — this  is  a  priest's  work — pray  if  you  like,  but 
no  priest  comes  here." 

I  had,  as  all  other  men  have,  frequently  called  upon 
God,  sometimes  in  idle  blasphemy ;  but  never  on  an  occa- 
sion so  serious  as  this.  Pray  if  I  liked !  I  had  forgotten 
what  real  prayer  was.  Impelled  by  a  power  I  could  not  re- 
sist, I  knelt  down  and  tried  to  form  some  words  to  reach  the 
Most  High.  But  they  would  not  come,  I  could  only  feel 
them,  and  I  rose  again  and  took  my  stand  by  the  dying 
girl. 

She  began  to  talk  now  in  a  rambling  manner,  and  with 
that  strength  which  comes  at  the  point  of  death  from  some- 
where ;  her  voice  was  clear,  but  with  a  metallic  ring.  It  is 
not  for  me  to  repeat  the  last  words  of  one  who  is  now  with 


82  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

her  God  ;  but  I  gathered  from  them  a  story  of  trusting  love, 
of  infamous  wrong  and  dastardly  crime.  And  Corte  shook 
like  a  branch  in  the  wind,  as  the  words  came  thick  and  fast 
from  the  lips  of  his  dying  child.  After  a  while  she  became 
still  once  again.  So  still  that  we  thought  she  had  passed 
away ;  but  she  revived  on  a  sudden,  and  called  out : 

"Father — I  cannot  see— I  am  blind— stoop  down  and 
let  me  whisper." 

"  I  am  here,  little  one — close— quite  close  to  you." 

"  Tell  him — I — forgive.  You  must  forgive  too — prom- 
ise." 

Corte  pressed  his  lips  to  her  damp  forehead,  but  spoke 

no  word. 

"It  is  bright  again— they  are  calling  me— mother! 
Hold  me  up — I  cannot  breathe." 

Corte  sank  on  his  knees  with  his  head  between  his  hands, 
and  passing  my  arm  round  the  poor  creature  I  lifted  her  up, 
and  the  spirit  passed.  In  the  room  there  was  now  a  silence 
which  was  broken  by  a  heart-rending  sob  from  Corte.  He 
staggered  to  his  feet  with  despair  on  his  face. 

"  She  said  forgive  ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  Man,  you  have 
seen  an  angel  die.  This  is  the  work  of  a  priest,  of  a  pontiff, 
of  him  who  calls  himself  Vicar  of  Christ !  Go  now,  and 
leave  me  with  my  dead." 

I  took  his  hand,  and  pressing  it,  turned  to  the  door. 
As  I  closed  it  behind  me,  I  saw  Corte  bending  over  the  still 
face  of  his  child,  and  the  little  dog,  throwing  up  its  head, 
howled  piteously. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TEMPTATION". 

I  had  looked  upon  death  before ;  I  had  seen  the  plague 
strike  down  its  victims  in  an  hour ;  I  had  been  in  the  hell 
of  a  sacked  town,  when  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
given  to  the  sword.  On  the  breach  at  Arx  Sismundea,  dead, 
dying  and  wounded,  were  piled  breast  high,  when  we 
stormed  our  way,  through  the  fog  of  battle,  into  Malatesta's 
stronghold.  Stricken  down  at  San  Miniato,  I  saw,  in  the 
dim  night,  the  death  hunters  at  their  fearful  trade,  aud 
heard  the  dull  blows  of  their  daggers,  as  they  murdered 
some  helpless  wretch,  sometimes  for  the  prize  of  a  tag  of 
gold  lace,  sometimes  for  the  sheer  pleasure  of  slaughter. 
Lying  unable  to  move,  by  good  luck  concealed  in  a  hollow, 
amidst  grass  which  stood  a  yard  high,  I  saw  a  man  killed 
not  ten  feet  from  me.  He  rose  to  his  elbow  as  the  fiends 
approached,  and  called  for  water.  But  it  was  not  water  he 
got.  How  he  struggled  !  He  cried  for  mercy,  and  I  can 
still  see  the  wretches  as  they  held  him  down.  A  foul-look- 
ing hag  placed  her  knees  on  his  chest,  she  looked  towards 
the  sky  for  a  moment,  as  if  invoking  a  spirit  to  a  sacrifice, 
and  the  moonlight  shone  on  a  face  that  was  hardly  human. 
Then  she  stooped  down,  and  with  a  relentless  hand,  plunged 
the  knife  she  held  into  her  victim's  throat,  lint  all  this, 
which  should  have  hardened  my  heart,  did  not  affect  me  as 
the  scene  I  had  just  quitted.     After  all,  what  I  had  passed 

83 


84  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVBLLI. 

through  was  done  when  the  blood  was  high  with  excite- 
ment. Here,  however,  was  another  thing.  I  had  watched 
the  end  of  a  being  beautiful  and  pure,  who  was  born  to 
adorn  life,  and  yet  what  was  her  story  ?  Fallen  into  the 
hands  of  an  incarnate  devil,  outraged,  and  then  cast  forth 
blinded,  to  die  like  a  reptile  !  It  was  too  horrible  !  Surely 
God  must  have  slept  whilst  this  was  done.  Surely  the  after 
life  ought  to  be  to  her,  in  an  inverse  proportion  to  her  suf- 
ferings on  earth.  But  why  any  such  infliction  on  one  so 
helpless?  Mystery  of  mysteries,  and  I  cannot  solve  it. 
And  yet  she  was  able  to  forgive.  At  the  last  she  could  con- 
done. What  were  my  wrongs  to  those  she  had  endured? 
After  all  I  had  health,  strength,  and  the  world  was  wide. 
Why  waste  my  time  in  running  after  the  morbid  shadow  of 
revenge  ?  If  I  got  it,  would  it  satisfy  ?  Would  it  heal  my 
wounds !  Thinking  in  this  way,  I  called  to  mind  a  sermon 
of  the  Prior  of  St.  Mark's — I  heard  when  last  in  Florence. 
I  came  in  the  suite  of  Paolo  Vitelli  ag  Citta  del  Castello, 
and  at  the  time  Savonarola  had  left  the  Duomo,  and  was 
preaching  at  St.  Mark's.  His  subject  was  forgiveness,  and 
his  text,  "  Vengeance  is  mine,  saith  the  Lord,"  came  back 
to  me  with  a  vivid  force.  I  rose  from  my  seat  and  paced 
the  room,  my  whole  soul  was  on  the  cross ;  I  had  all  but  re- 
solved to  forego  my  scheme  of  revenge,  when  I  heard  a 
knock  at  the  door.  At  first  I  did  not  answer,  but  it  was 
repeated. 

"  Come  in,"  I  cried,  and  Ceci  entered.  In  the  state  in 
which  I  was  in,  I  had  half  a  mind  to  bid  him  begone  there 
and  then,  and  only  controlled  myself  with  an  effort.  I  could 
see  however  that,  in  his  way,  he  had  formed  a  friendly  feel- 
ing towards  me,  and  remembering  my  plans,  forced  myself 
to  greet  him  with  civility,  and  offering  him  a  seat  began  the 
conversation. 

"  That  was  a  strange  finish  to  the  Gonfaloniere's  speech," 


TEMPTATION.  85 

I  said,  in  allusion  to  the  death  of  the  man  at  the  hands  of 
the  mob. 

"  He  was  a  fool,  and  deserved  to  die." 

"  Do  you  know  his  name  ?  " 

Ceci  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  I  saw  he  was  lying 
when  he  said  "  No." 

"I  gather,"  I  added,  "that  you  are  of  the  Bigi,  the 
party  that  favours  the  return  of  the  Medici." 

"  Signore,  I  spoke  words  in  my  excitement  that  may 
well  be  buried.  An  old  tongue  like  mine  should  have 
known  to  be  still ;  but  it  is  not  that  I  have  come  to  speak 
of.     Do  you  know  we  have  a  death  in  the  house  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  no  new  thing  to  you." 

"True,"  he  said,  stroking  his  white  beard,  "they  die 
here  like  rats  in  their  holes." 

"  I  suppose  so ;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  did  know  there 
was  a  death,  and  a  very  sad  one.  I  know  Mathew  Corte, 
but  how  have  you  found  out  so  soon  ?  " 

"  It  is  simple.  I  came  back  but  a  few  minutes  ago,  and 
although  it  was  late,  thought  I  might  call  for  the  rent  of 
the  room  Corte  occupies,  as  he  has  not  paid  anything  as 
yet.  When  I  came  in,  Corte  simply  pointed  to  the  body  of 
his  daughter,  that  was  all  the  reply  I  got.  She  was  very 
ill  when  she  came ;  I  wonder  indeed  she  lived  so  long.  Of 
course  I  did  not  press  him,  and  if  it  is  a  loss,  Messer  Nobili 
is  rich  enough  to  bear  this.  But  it  is  dreadful  the  way 
these  people  owe." 

I  winced  a  little,  thinking  of  my  own  diminished  purse, 
and  Ceci  continued  :  "  I  thought  I  would  come  and  see  you 
as  I  went  down.  It  is  on  my  way.  The  body  must  be  re- 
moved to-morrow." 

"  You  will  find  some  difficulty  in  persuading  him  to 
give  it  a  Christian  burial." 

"  How !    Is  he  a  heretic,  or  a  pagan — if  so  !  " 


86  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  I  did  not  say  that.     I  believe  the  man  to  be  mad." 
"  I  will  see  him  to-morrow,"  said  Ceci.     "  I  think  he 
will  yield  to  reason.     Poor  child !     She  might  have  been 
saved." 

"  Saved  ! " 

"  Yes,  when  they  first  came,  I  begged  Corte  to  let  me 
call  the  Doctor  MafEeo.  He  would  not  however  listen  to 
the  idea.  Then  I  told  him  what  to  do,  being  a  family  man, 
who  has  had  children  to  look  after.  All  gone  into  the 
world  now,  and  never  even  a  message  for  Bernabo  Ceci." 
"  I  thought  the  case  hopeless  when  I  saw  it." 
"  When  you  saw  it,  perhaps ;  but,  sign  ore,  not  at  first. 
See !  the  sun  is  not  in  the  Lion,  and  medicines  should  have 
been  freely  given.  I  would  have  placed  the  diaphragm  of  a 
sheep  on  her  chest,  had  her  bled,  and  administered  theriaca 
of  Venice ;  if  that  failed,  there  is  bezoar." 

"  Messer  Ceci,  you  are  as  learned  as  a  doctor  yourself." 
"  I  have  had  experience,  signore,"  he  answered,  as  he 
rose  to  go.  "  Yes,  do  I  not  know  ?  The  life  of  my  poor 
wife  was  saved  twice  by  this  treatment,  and  on  the  third 
occasion,  if  it  were  not  for  the  poison  which  originated  in- 
ternally within  her,  as  Messer  Maffeo  stated  in  a  learned 
discourse  he  read  to  the  Academy,  she  would  have  been 
saved  again.  A  good  night,  Signor  Donati,  and  peace  to 
dreams — remember,  it  should  have  been  as  I  said — either 
theriaca  or  bezoar — or  both  combined — a  good  night !  " 

He  went  out,  and  down  the  stairs,  with  the  step  of  a 
young  man,  and  I  marvelled  at  the  contradictory  nature, 
which  could  show  the  kindness  it  had  towards  affliction, 
and  at  the  same  time  coldly  plan  to  remove  a  fellow-crea- 
ture from  the  world,  as  one  removes  a  bud  from  a  tree,  with 
a  touch  of  the  knife.  But  Ceci's  words  had  also  reminded 
me  again  of  Corte's  need.  I  stood  at  the  door  listening 
until  his  footsteps  died  away,  and  knew  he  was  gone  for  the 


TEMPTATION.  87 

night.  Then  I  pulled  out  my  purse,  and  looked  at  its 
contents ;  there  were  two  gold  crowns  left,  and  a  few  pauls. 
I  hesitated  for  a  little  ;  but  the  need  of  the  man  upstairs 
was  greater  than  mine.  Drawing  off  my  boots  so  that  there 
may  be  no  sound,  I  stole  up  softly,  like  a  thief,  and  gained 
the  landing  of  Corte's  room.  The  door  was  partly  open, 
and  I  stood  before  it  for  a  short  while,  half  afraid  to  enter. 
Plucking  up  heart,  I  crept  in  gently.  The  dead  girl  lay 
with  her  hands  crossed  on  her  bosom,  still  as  if  cut  out  of 
marble,  and  on  her  face  was  fixed  a  sad  little  smile.  Corte 
sat  on  a  stool  near  the  table ;  his  head  was  buried  between 
his  hands,  and  he  had  given  way  to  silent  despair.  The 
dog  lay  asleep  in  a  corner.  I  meant  to  have  proffered  the 
gold  I  had  with  me,  as  a  loan  to  Corte  ;  but  I  did  not  dare 
to  address  him  in  his  grief.  So  placing  the  coins  quietly 
on  the  table  in  such  a  manner  that  when  he  raised  his  head 
he  must  see  them,  I  withdrew  as  noiselessly  as  I  came,  and 
reached  my  room  without  attracting  any  attention.  It  was 
not  until  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  that  I  sought  my 
couch,  for  my  mind  kept  working  on  the  thoughts  which 
agitated  me  after  witnessing  the  death  of  Corte's  daughter. 
At  the  same  time,  I  was  able  to  see  that  this  consideration 
of  the  suffering  of  others  was  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  me. 
It  took  me  out  of  myself.  It  showed  me  that  my  own  were 
not  the  only  sorrows  in  the  world,  and  that  there  might  yet 
be  others  who  had  reached  a  deep  of  misery  as  far  below 
that  of  Corte,  as  his  was  below  mine.  This  led  me  on  to 
consider  my  own  position,  and  I  began  to  think  there  was 
some  mysterious  power  that  was  preventing  me  carrying 
out  my  plan  of  reprisal  against  D'Eutrangues.  I  had  come 
to  Florence  red-hot  on  his  track.  At  our  very  first  meeting 
he  had  won  the  hazard,  and  the  long  illness  that  followed 
gave  him  chance  to  put  a  distance  between  us ;  then  my 
resources  diminished  whilst  yet  nothing  was  done;   then 


88  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

came  the  doubts  as  to  whether  I  was  justified  in  my  action ; 
and  finally,  and  not  least,  there  was  in  me  a  haunting  desire 
to  see  Angiola,  as  I  called  her  to  myself,  once  again.  I  was 
pulled  by  different  strings.  There  was  that  I  called  con- 
science, urging  me  to  give  up  my  schemes  of  revenge ;  there 
was  the  wild  animal  in  me,  telling  me  to  go  on ;  there 
was  a  feeling  towards  a  woman,  which  I  had  honestly 
never  experienced  before,  which,  despite  my  struggles 
against  its  apparently  hopeless  folly,  was  entirely  overmas- 
tering me,  until  I  did  not  know  which  way  to  turn,  and 
to  escape  from  it  all  decided  to  leave  Florence  at  once; 
and  then  altered  my  mind  again,  when  I  thought  of  the 
plot  I  wished  to  thwart,  and  determined  to  make  a  last 
effort  to  do  this,  and,  if  possible,  to  see  Angiola  once  more 
before  I  left.  At  last  I  went  to  sleep,  waking  very  late  in 
the  morning.  So  sound  was  my  slumber,  that  when  I 
awoke  I  thought  at  first  that  the  events  of  the  night  were 
nothing  more  than  a  dream ;  but  they  soon  forced  them- 
selves on  me  in  their  reality,  and  the  fact  was  emphasised, 
by  the  sight  of  the  odd  pauls,  which  were  now  my  all,  lying 
on  the  table.  I  gathered  these  up,  and  proceeded  in  search 
of  Ceci  to  ask  if  he  had  made  any  arrangements  for  the 
burial ;  but  he  was  nowhere  to  be  found ;  and,  as  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  see  Corte  then,  I  resolved  to  breakfast 
on  fresh  air,  a  diet  which  however  wholesome,  was,  I  found, 
certainly  not  satisfying.  I  went  to  the  Oricellari  Gardens, 
which  were  at  that  time  the  property  of  the  Kucellai. 
Here,  within  the  city  walls,  one  found  a  forest,  and  under 
the  shade  of  the  huge  trees,  a  more  miserable  being  than 
myself  could  have  spent  pleasant  hours,  and  perhaps  gained 
contentment  of  mind  by  observing  the  beauties  of  nature. 
It  was  here  that,  after  the  death  of  II  Magnifico,  the  Pla- 
tonic Academy  moved  its  sittings.  But  the  gentlemen  who 
composed  it  discussed  their  philosophy  with  a  good  dinner, 


TEMPTATION.  89 

and  even  the  unfortunate  who  wishes  to  gain  peace  of 
mind  in  sylvan  shades,  should  have  a  full  belt.  This  fact 
obtruded  itself  more  and  more  strongly  on  me,  and  I  could 
obtain  little  relief  by  the  expedient  of  tightening  my  sword- 
belt  by  a  hole  or  so.  Therefore,  in  despair,  I  left  the  beau- 
ties of  nature  to  be  so  good  as  to  look  after  themselves, 
and  disbursed  a  half-paul  in  something  to  eat ;  after  which 
I  felt  able  to  face  the  prospect  of  future  starvation  with  a 
more  serene  mind.  On  return  to  my  lodging  I  found  Ceci 
was  not  yet  come  back,  and  still  thinking  it  would  be  an 
intrusion  to  make  inquiry  after  Corte,  disposed  of  my  time 
by  repairing  my  attire  as  best  I  might,  and  watching  the 
pigeons  on  the  caves  of  the  roof  opposite  my  window,  with 
a  little  envy  in  my  heart  at  their  simple  happiness,  and  a 
doubt  if,  after  all,  man  was  so  fortunate  in  possessing  a 
soul,  and  being  cast  after  the  image  of  his  Maker.  If  our 
faith  is  to  be  believed  there  is  nothing  for  man  but  heaven 
or  hell,  and  perhaps  the  worst  form  of  hell-torment  would 
be  to  be  born  again  in  the  lowest  form  of  a  dumb  brute, 
with  the  faculty  of  fully  appreciating  all  that  the  highest 
of  mankind  can.  Picture  to  oneself  a  Eaphael,  who  has 
slipped  into  the  abyss,  and  is  sent  back  to  earth  again,  an 
obscene  animal,  with  all  the  grasp  of  the  beautiful  he  had 
in  life.  I  do  not  know  any  punishment  that  would  be 
more  cruel.  On  the  other  hand,  there  has  never  appeared 
to  me  any  definite  realisation  of  the  joys  of  heaven.  It  is 
no  doubt  their  vagueness  that  is  their  charm.  Be  these 
things  as  they  may,  all  speculation  into  the  future  is  use- 
less, and  I  have  found  my  comfort  in  a  simple  faith  in 
our  religion,  which  has  served  me  through  this  life,  and 
will,  I  trust,  do  the  same  office  in  the  next. 

Thus  reflecting,  I   passed  the   day  quietly,  and  in  the 
afternoon  Ceci  came  to  tell  me  all  was  ready  for  the  burial. 

He  gave  me  to  understand  that  Corte  had  listened  to  reason 
7 


90  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

in  the  matter  of  a  priest,  although  I  never  knew  what  argu- 
ments he  had  used  to  effect  this.  The  funeral  was  much 
as  other  pauper  burials,  and  when  it  was  over  we  walked 
back  together.  On  our  return  a  man  accosted  Ceci,  who, 
he  said,  was  his  nephew,  and  they  went  off  together  on  some 
business.  Had  I  only  known  what  I  was  to  be  indebted  to 
this  gentleman  for,  shortly,  I  should  have  observed  him 
with  greater  attention.  As  it  happened  I  gave  him  but  a 
passing  glance,  catching  a  glimpse  of  a  pale  face,  with 
strong,  clear-cut  features,  and  keen,  bright  eyes.  Corte  and 
I  were  now  alone,  and,  respecting  his  grief,  I  said  no  word, 
nor  did  he  speak,  as  we  threaded  our  way  back.  Near  St. 
Mark's,  Corte  suddenly  seized  my  hand,  raised  it  to  his  lips, 
and  then  turning,  fled  down  a  side  street  and  was  lost  to 
view.  I  attempted  to  follow,  fearing  that  sorrow  had  totally 
unhinged  his  mind,  already  a  little  off  its  balance,  and  that 
he  would  come  to  injury.  My  attempt  however  was  without 
avail,  and  I  returned  home  to  disprove  the  proverb  which 
falsely  says  that  he  who  sleeps,  dines. 

The  next  day  I  was  again  favoured  with  a  visit  from 
Ceci,  and  after  some  allusion  to  the  funeral,  he  once  more 
broached  the  subject  on  which  he  had  sounded  me  before, 
and  asked  for  a  definite  reply.  I  gave  it  to  him  without 
hesitation. 

"  Messer  Ceci,"  I  said,  "  whatever  my  condition  may  be, 
you  are  in  error  if  you  think  I  am  a  bravo.  In  short  your 
proposal  is  an  insult,  and  you  owe  it  to  my  consideration 
for  your  years  that  I  do  not  fling  you  out  of  the  room.  I 
have  promised  you  secrecy,  and  therefore  cannot  do  as  I 
would,  and  that  is,  lay  the  matter  before  the  Signory ;  but 
I  tell  you  plainly  that  if  I  can  I  will  upset  your  plan,  and 
now  you  had  better  leave  me." 

I  had  by  this  thrown  everything  into  the  fire ;  but  it 
was  not  possible  to  control  myself  longer.     As  for  Ceci,  he 


TEMPTATION".  91 

sat  for  a  moment,  his  eyes  staring  out  of  his  head  with 
rage,  and  his  white  beard  fairly  bristling.  He  rose  from  his 
seat. 

"So,  Signor'  Donati,  this  is  your  answer,  is  it?  Look 
to  yourself,  most  noble  excellency,  for  those  I  serve  have  a 
long  reach.  There  is,  however,  another  thing  we  have  to 
settle  before  I  go.  I  shall  be  obliged  by  your  paying  me 
the  sum  of  three  crowns  for  rent,  and  other  services  due  to 
the  excellent  Messer  Nobili." 

I  was  overcome  with  shame,  for  I  had  not  the  money. 

"  You  can  take  this  furniture,"  I  said,  "  it  will  pay  my 
dues." 

Ceci  smiled  grimly. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  be  hard  on  you,  and  you  know  the 
punishment  for  debt.  I  will  take  the  furniture  back  for 
two  pieces,  although  it  has  deteriorated  by  wear  and  tear 
to  the  value  of  a  florin,  and  you  will  still  owe  one  piece. 
See,  signore,"  and  he  suddenly  changed  his  tone,  "  pocket 
your  pride,  as  many  a  better  man  than  you  has  done  to  fill 
his  purse.  It  is  but  a  stroke  of  your  sword  we  want,  and 
here  are  ten  gold  crowns." 

"  Begone  ! "  I  cried  in  a  rage,  and  starting  up  laid  my 
hand  on  my  sword.  Ceci  instantly  drew  a  dagger  from  his 
girdle  and  faced  me  with  the  highest  courage.  We  stood 
before  each  other  for  a  second,  and  then  with  a  laugh  he 
put  back  his  poniard. 

"  I  will  give  you  time,"  he  said.  "  A  whole  week — and 
now  leave  you  to  cool.     Adieu,  most  noble  excellency  !  " 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    MARZOCCO   INN". 

I  tried  every  possible  means  I  could  think  of  to  obtain 
employment,  to  no  avail,  and,  in  the  intervals  of  my  fruit- 
less search  for  work,  haunted  the  streets  and  gardens,  with 
the  hope  of  obtaining  another  glimpse  of  Angiola,  but  with- 
out any  success.  Inch  by  inch  my  resources  diminished, 
until  they  became  so  small  that  a  blind  beggar  would  have 
hardly  thanked  me  for  the  gift  of  them.  I  lived  in  constant 
dread  of  Ceci  reappearing  to  demand  the  sum  I  owed  for 
my  rent,  but  he  did  not  come.  He  was  evidently  giving  me 
time,  starving  me  out  to  surrender  to  his  terms.  I  used  to 
see  him  as  I  went  in  and  out,  sitting  in  his  office  like  a 
spider,  yet  he  never  even  lifted  his  head  as  I  passed.  I 
hated,  almost  feared,  going  by  that  door.  Bitterly  did  I  re- 
gret not  having  left  Florence  when  I  was  able.  It  was  now 
impossible  to  do  so,  unless  as  a  defaulter,  and  the  weight  of 
that  paltry  debt  oppressed  me,  as  if  a  cannon-ball  were  slung 
around  my  neck.  I  could  not  leave  until  I  paid  it,  and  of 
i  doing  this  there  seemed  no  prospect.  I  had  parted  with  my 
cloak  for  money  to  buy  food,  but  the  last  copper  of  that  was 
gone,  and  I  was  now  penniless.  For  two  days  I  had  not 
eaten  anything  but  a  morsel  of  bread,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  third  day  I  rose  desperate  with  hunger,  and  prepared 
to  go  any  lengths  to  satisfy  it.  I  ate  my  self-esteem  and 
made  another  attempt  to  see  La  Palisse,  but  was  denied  ad- 

88 


THE  MARZOCCO  INN.  93 

mittance,  and  when  I  came  back  I  actually  hesitated  before 
the  door  of  Ceci's  office,  and  almost  made  up  my  mind  to 
yield,  and  say  I  would  do  his  business  for  him.  It  required 
an  effort,  so  low  had  I  sunk,  to  rouse  my  pride.  At  last  it 
flared  up,  and  with  a  cheek  hot  at  my  weakness,  I  sought 
my  chamber  and  there  passed  the  day.  The  pigeons  that 
lived  under  the  eaves  opposite  my  window,  and  to  whose 
soft  cooing  I  so  often  listened  with  pleasure  before,  now 
aroused  other  thoughts  within  me.  If  I  could  only  lure 
one  within  reach  !  But  it  was  impossible,  and  I  glared  at 
them  as  they  fluttered  and  flirted  with  each  other,  with  the 
hungry  eyes  of  a  cat  baulked  of  her  prey.  At  last  I  gave  it 
up,  and  with  a  curse  flung  myself  on  my  bed.  Fool  that  I 
was !  Five-and-thirty  years  should  have  brought  me  wis- 
dom. I  had  stayed  on  in  Florence,  allowed  my  chances  of 
revenge  to  get  more  distant,  in  fact,  reached  a  stage  of  mind 
when  I  was  doubtful  if  I  could  rightly  exact  vengeance, 
drifted  into  abject  ]30verty,  and  worse  than  that,  was  con- 
tinually thinking  of  a  woman,  who,  when  I  had  rendered 
her  a  service,  treated  me  with  contempt,  who  had  no  doubt 
forgotten  me  by  this  time,  amidst  her  duties,  if  she  had  any, 
and  her  pleasures,  of  which  I  doubt  not  she  had  store.  So 
the  evening  came  amidst  my  reflections  and  self-reproaches, 
and,  it  being  dusk,  I  decided  to  go  forth  again,  and  snatch 
a  purse,  if  necessary,  to  obtain  food.  As  I  rose,  an  impulse 
I  could  not  control  made  me  unfasten  my  money-belt, 
and  search  if  by  chance  there  was  a  coin  within  it.  Of 
'  course  there  was  not  a  brown  copper,  but  my  fingers,  in 
running  up  the  belt,  touched  something  hard,  and  I  pulled 
forth,  attached  to  its  tag  of  red  ribbon,  my  cross  of  St.  La- 
zare,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  I  had  placed  therein  for 
safety  the  night  I  was  imprisoned  in  the  Villa  Accolti.  I 
had  clean  forgot  it  in  my  troubles,  and  now  it  lay  in  my 
open  palm,  with  the  diamonds  in  it  winking  in  my  face. 


94  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

My  whole  frame  trembled  with  excitement.  Here  was  the 
means  of  freeing  myself  from  debt  at  once,  and  of  obtaining 
funds  to  quit  Florence,  nay  Europe.  At  the  lowest  compu- 
tation its  worth  could  have  been  no  less  than  forty  crowns, 
and  this  at  present  was  wealth  to  me.  What  with  the  effects 
of  the  want  of  food,  and  the  sudden  discovery  of  the  cross, 
I  began  to  feel  weak  all  over,  and  flinging  the  badge  on  the 
table,  sank  down  into  a  chair  before  it  to  compose  myself. 
The  room  was  almost  dark,  and  I  sat  staring  at  the  jewels 
and  at  the  diamonds  on  it,  which  sparkled  through  the  gloom. 
That  little  trinket  was  linked  with  the  one  great  event  of 
my  life.  All  the  past  came  vividly  before  my  excited  brain. 
I  was  again  in  that  desperate  retreat  of  Charles  of  France 
up  the  valley  of  the  Taro,  with  the  army  of  the  League  in 
full  cry  behind  us.  The  old  boar  Trevulzio  commanded  the 
rear  guard,  disputed  every  inch  of  the  road,  and  now  and 
again  stood  boldly  at  bay,  and  gave  a  taste  of  his  tusks  to 
the  Duke  of  Bari,  and  the  fine  gentlemen  of  Venice.  It 
was  at  this  moment  that  Eoderigo  Gonsaga  made  his  dash 
for  the  heights  above  the  junction  of  the  Ceno  and  the  Taro. 
Trevulzio  saw  the  movement ;  he  was  powerless  to  help,  and 
knew  that  if  it  succeeded  all  was  lost.  At  the  time  I  was  at 
his  bridle  hand. 

"  Hide  for  your  life,"  he  said,  "  and  tell  the  king — that." 
He  pointed  to  the  black  line  of  the  infantry  of  Spain  mov- 
ing towards  the  heights.  I  was  off  at  once,  waiting  no  sec- 
ond bidding. 

I  found  Charles  mounted  on  Savoy,  his  one-eyed  black 
charger,  one  of  the  finest  horses  I  have  ever  seen. '  The  king 
grasped  the  situation  at  a  glance.  He  gave  a  sharp  order, 
closed  his  vizor  with  a  snap,  and  in  five  minutes  a  thousand 
lances  followed  him  down  the  long  slope,  up  which  the 
Spaniards  were  advancing.  It  was  an  absolutely  silent 
charge.    Not  a  cheer  went  up,  and  the  only  sound  was  the 


THE  MARZOCCO  INN.  95 

thunder  of  the  horses'  hoofs,  and  the  clink  of  mail  as  we 
sped  on  after  the  king.  Then  there  was  a  sullen  crash,  and 
a  sea  of  struggling  men  and  horses.  The  veteran  troops  of 
the  Great  Captain  maintained  their  high  reputation,  fight- 
ing like  dragons  to  the  end. 

Charles,  whose  horse  had  carried  him  far  in  advance  of 
us  all,  was  in  great  danger.  His  helmet  had  fallen  or  been 
struck  off,  and  he  was  recognised.  Gonsaga,  seeing  all  was 
lost,  made  a  despairing  rush  at  the  king  with  a  half-dozen 
men  at  his  back,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  way  Savoy 
kicked  and  plunged,  would  have  surely  slain  him.  Urging 
my  horse  to  its  utmost  speed,  I  reached  Charles  just  in  time 
to  ward  off  a  furious  blow  aimed  by  the  Spaniard  at  the 
king,  and  riding  full  tilt  against  him,  brought  down  both 
horse  and  man.  The  next  moment  others  came  up,  and  we 
were  safe.  Philip  de  Comines  reproached  the  king  respect- 
fully for  running  himself  into  peril ;  but  Charles,  wiping 
his  sword  on  the  mane  of  his  charger,  said  with  a  laugh  : 

"  All  is  well  that  ends  well,  my  Lord  of  Argenton  ;  but 
it  is  thanks  to  this  good  sword  here,"  and  he  turned  to  me, 
"  that  our  cousin  of  Orleans  must  exercise  his  patience  yet  a 
little  longer.     Come  closer,  sir." 

I  dismounted  and  approached  helmet  in  hand.  The 
king  detached  the  Cross  of  St.  Lazare  he  wore,  and  bend- 
ing from  the  saddle,  slipped  the  looj)  of  the  ribbon  round 
my  neck. 

"  Wear  this  for  the  sake  of  France,"  ho  said  with  a 
gracious  smile. 

And  now  the  patience  of  Orleans  had  come  to  its  end, 
and  Louis  XII.  was  king,  and  of  my  hopes  and  dreams,  all 
that  remained  was  the  cross  of  the  order  blinking  at  me. 

It  had  to  go,  and  there  was  no  help  for  it.  With  an 
effort  I  rose  and,  thrusting  the  cross  into  my  pocket,  hur- 
ried into  the  street.    My  way  led  to  the  ward  of  San  Spirito, 


96  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  it  took  me  some  little  time  to  reach  the  place  where  1 
meant  to  dispose  of  the  jewel.  When  I  reached  it,  I  was  so 
overcome  with  weakness  that  I  had  to  halt  for  a  moment  to 
rest.  It  was  during  that  halt,  that  hesitation  of  a  minute, 
that  my  courage  came  back  to  me,  and  I  pulled  forth  the 
cross  and  held  it  in  my  cold  fingers  with  a  heart  tossed  by 
conflicting  emotions.  I  could  not  do  it.  Death  would  be 
preferable.  Well,  I  had  faced  death  before,  and  there  was 
no  reason  why  I  should  not  do  so  again  with  an  equal  mind. 
The  Arno  was  deep  enough  to  hold  me,  and  God  would 
perhaps  be  kinder  in  the  next  world  than  in  this.  I  placed 
the  cross  back  slowly,  my  honour  was  still  white,  and  death 
that  was  coming  would  give  me  a  full  quittance  for  all  my 
troubles.  I  turned  my  back  on  the  pawnbroker's,  and  went 
towards  the  Arno ;  but  I  had  miscalculated  my  strength, 
and  near  Santa  Felicita  I  felt  a  sudden  giddiness  and  sank 
downwards  on  the  pavement.  I  struggled  to  rise,  but  the 
faintness  increased,  and  dragging  myself  close  to  the  wall  I 
leaned  against  it  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  a  kind  of  stupor 
fell  upon  me,  through  which  I  still  felt  the  intolerable  pangs 
of  hunger.  In  a  little  time  I  felt  better,  and  as  I  saw  the 
flash  of  torches,  and  heard  voices  in  laughing  conversation, 
I  made  an  effort  to  rise,  gaining  my  feet  just  as  two  ladies, 
with  their  attendants,  came  opposite  to  me,  and  then  I  stag- 
gered back  again. 

"  Poor  man  !     He  is  hurt." 

"  I  am  starving,"  I  said  in  the  bitterness  of  my  agony, 
and  the  next  moment  could  have  killed  myself,  for  I  recog- 
nised the  ladies  whom  I  had  rescued  from  Luigi  in  the 
Garden  of  St.  Michael.  I  had  my  desire  and  had  seen  her 
again  ;  but  how  ? 

Madonna  Angiola  made  a  hurried  search  for  her  purse, 
and  not  finding  it,  with  a  hasty  movement  tore  something 
off  a  bracelet,  and  thrust  it  into  my  hand.     Before  I  could 


THE  MARZOCCO  INN.  97 

recover  from  my  astonishment  they  had  gone  on,  and  al- 
though I  called  after  them,  they  did  not  stop.  The  shame 
of  having  received  charity,  and  from  her,  was  all  but  un- 
bearable ;  but  with  it  I  felt  the  hand  of  hunger  knocking  at 
me  in  a  manner  that  would  take  no  denial.  My  courage 
was  gone,  and  urged  by  the  fierce  pangs  of  my  hunger,  I 
resolved  to  utilise  the  gift,  and  obtain  some  food  to  give  me 
strength  to  die.  I  smile  as  I  think  of  this  now.  Then  it 
was  no  laughing  matter.  I  plucked  myself  up  sufficiently 
to  go  back  to  the  pawnshop.  Entering  it,  I  placed  the 
article,  which  I  judged  to  be  a  jewel,  but  which  I  had  not 
even  examined,  before  the  man  in  attendance,  and  asked 
for  an  advance  thereon. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  gold  tari  of  Amalfi,"  he  said,  poising 
it  on  his  finger,  "  and  of  full  weight.  Do  you  wish  to  sell 
it  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  replied,  "  I  merely  wish  to  pledge  it." 
"  I  will  give  you  two  crowns,"  he  pushed  the  money  to  me, 
and  with  it  a  receipt.  I  gathered  these  up,  and  staggered 
rather  than  walked  to  the  Marzocco  Inn,  which  lay  hard  by. 
There  were  half-a-dozen  people  supping  there ;  but  I  had 
no  eyes  for  them,  all  I  could  think  of  was  the  pasty,  the 
roll  of  white  bread,  and  the  ruby  Chianti,  which  I  ordered. 
It  is  a  common  belief,  that  those  who  have  not  eaten  food 
for  any  length  of  time,  are  unable  to  do  so  when  it  is  placed 
before  them  at  first.  Whether  I  am  constitutionally  stronger 
than  the  generality  of  men,  I  do  not  know,  all  I  can  say  is, 
that  I  formed  an  exception  to  the  rule,  if  a  true  one,  and 
demolished  my  supper,  gaining  strength  with  every  mouth- 
ful, and  feeling  my  chilled  blood  warmer  with  every  drop  I 
drank  of  my  goblet  of  wine.  My  courage  came  back  to  me, 
and  I  banished  all  thoughts  of  the  Arno.  At  last  I  was 
done,  and  leaning  back  in  my  seat,  viewed  with  compla- 
cency the  huge  orifice  1  had  made  in  a  most  excellent  pasty, 


98  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

and  the  whiles  slowly  sipped  my  wine.  That  feeling  of 
sleepy  comfort,  which  attends  like  a  good  angel  on  a  full 
meal,  possessed  me,  my  sorrows  had  for  the  moment  taken 
themselves  off,  and  I  grieve  to  say  I  did  not  even  bestow 
a  thought  on  her,  to  whose  charity  I  was  indebted  practi- 
cally for  my  life.  I  sat  for  the  moment,  lapped  in  a  dreamy 
comfort,  forgetful  of  all  things.  I  dozed  for  about  half  an 
hour,  and  opened  my  eyes  with  my  head  clear  again,  and 
my  pulse  beating  firmly.  I  had,  somewhat  recklessly,  it  is 
true,  enjoyed  a  crown's  worth  of  happiness,  there  was  an- 
other fat  crown  still  in  my  pouch ;  with  care  it  would  last 
some  days,  and  during  that  time  luck  might  turn.  With 
these  thoughts  running  in  my  head,  I  let  my  eyes  wander 
over  the  room.  It  was  now  somewhat  late,  and  only  the 
night-birds  were  left.  Of  these,  a  party  of  five  was  seated  at  a 
table  a  little  removed  from  me,  and  were  conversing  in  low 
tones.  It  needed  but  a  glance  to  see  they  were  not  honest 
men,  and  from  the  suspicious  manner  in  which  they  looked 
around  them,  I  gathered  they  were  here  for  no  good  pur- 
pose. One  of  the  party  rested  his  eyes  on  me,  and  then 
whispered  to  a  companion,  who  was  seated  with  his  face 
from  me.  I  caught  the  answer,  which  was  given  in  some- 
what loud  tones.  "  Even  if  he  does,  what  does  it  matter? 
Cannot  a  few  gentlemen  enjoy  a  glass  in  peace  at  their 
ordinary  ?     If  he  gives  trouble  we  can  quiet  him." 

Could  it  be?  Yes,  it  was  no  other  than  the  ancient 
Brico,  who  had,  I  perceived,  got  out  of  the  clutches  of  his 
friends,  the  catchpolls  of  Montevarchi.  I  made  certain, 
therefore,  I  would  have  business  shortly,  and  leaning  back 
again,  pretended  to  doze,  keeping  my  ears  very  wide  open, 
and  holding  a  watch  on  the  scoundrels  from  the  tail  of 
my  eye. 

"  He  tarries  late,"  said  one,  "  perhaps  your  information 
is  wrong." 


THE  MARZOCCO  INN.  99 

"  I  have  it  from  a  sure  hand,  from  the  younger  Ceci. 
Buonoccorsi  and  he  will  both  be  here.  The  former,  how- 
ever, as  you  know,  we  do  not  want." 

I  almost  started  at  these  words.  Was  it  possible  that  I 
had  stumbled  on  the  bravos  who  were  engaged  in  Ceci's 
plot  ?  If  so,  stranger  thing  never  happened  to  .me,  and 
chance  was  probably  throwing  in  my  way  what  otherwise  I 
would  never  have  been  able  to  discover.  Even  as  the  last 
speaker  finished  his  sentence,  two  persons,  evidently  of  con- 
sequence, and  a  woman  entered  the  inn,  and  set  themselves 
down  at  a  table  close  to  mine.  The  men  both  wore  masks, 
but  the  lady  did  not,  and  let  her  glance  run  with  a  free  look 
on  us  all.  One  of  her  two  companions,  a  very  stout  man, 
put  down  his  mask,  disclosing  a  jolly  rubicund  face,  and 
roared  out  for  a  flagon  of  wine.  The  other,  still  keeping 
his  features  covered,  engaged  in  lively  badinage  with  his  fair 
friend,  and  as  he  moved  his  hand  slightly,  I  caught  the  flash 
of  a  valuable  ring. 

The  five  at  the  table  all  had  their  heads  together  now, 
and  I  saw  the  one  nearest  to  me  stealthily  draw  his  sword. 
With  an  apparently  careless  movement  I  so  placed  my  own 
weapon  as  to  be  at  hand  on  the  moment.  Presently  Brico 
arose,  and  swaggering  across  the  room  with  a  glass  in  his 
hand,  deliberately  stopped  before  the  lady,  and  drained  it  to 
her  health.  She  laughed  back  her  appreciation,  and  Brico 
called  out,  "  Blood  of  a  King !  Madonna,  but  you  waste 
yourself  with  His  Corpulence  there,"  and  he  jerked  his 
hand  towards  the  stout  man,  who  sat  speechless,  his  cheeks 
purple  with  rage.  "  Come  and  join  us  good  fellows  here," 
he  added,  and  attempted  to  pass  his  arm  around  her  waist ; 
but  the  masked  stranger  flashed  out  his  rapier,  and  Brico 
only  escaped  being  skewered  by  an  agile  retreat.  This  was, 
however,  the  signal  for  an  instant  assault,  and  with  a  shout 
of  "A  Medici— palle—jMllc"  those  at  the  table  rushed  on 


100  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI.; 

the  smaller  party.  As  they  rose,  I  jumped  up,  and  pushed 
my  table  with  great  violence  in  their  direction.  Two  of  the 
men  fell  over  it,  and  this  gave  me  time  to  draw  my  sword 
and  join  the  weaker  party.  The  lady  rushed  out  with  a 
scream,  and  the  stout  gentleman  bellowing  lustily  for  help 
followed  suit,  and  made  his  exit,  no  attempt  being  made  to 
hinder  him,  the  attack  being  solely  directed  against  the 
masked  man,  who  with  his  back  to  the  wall,  and  the  table 
between  himself  and  his  assailants,  defended  himself  with 
great  spirit  and  skill. 

Slashing  one  of  the  ruffians  across  the  face,  which  put 
him  out  of  the  fight,  I  ranged  alongside  of  the  stranger,  and 
a  very  pretty  set-to  ensued.  At  this  juncture  the  innkeeper 
entered  with  half-a-dozen  others,  and  kept  dancing  about, 
adjuring  us  to  stop,  but  offering  no  help.  I  made  for  Brico, 
but  could  not  reach  him,  having  to  engage  with  a  better 
swordsman  than  I  had  met  for  many  a  day ;  but  I  saw  we 
were  now  three  to  two,  for  the  ancient  was  more  bent  on 
executing  flourishes  with  his  sword,  and  in  cheering  on  the 
attack,  than  on  real  business.  My  opponent  was  a  left- 
handed  man,  so  anything  like  a  time-thrust  was  out  of  the 
question.  He  played  the  usual  game  of  left-handed  men, 
namely,  a  cut  over,  and  disengagement  in  tierce,  but  remis- 
ing, I  forced  him  to  a  straight  riposte,  and  pinked  him 
through  the  ribs.  He  fell  with  a  howl,  just  as  my  com- 
panion ran  his  man  through.  We  were  now  two  to  two,  if 
Brico  was  included,  but  the  others  waited  for  no  more  and 
fled,  no  attempt  being  made  to  stay  them  by  the  host.  The 
innkeeper,  however,  began  to  make  a  great  to-do ;  but  the  ' 
stranger  thrust  his  purse  in  his  hand,  and  lifting  his  mask 
spoke  a  few  words  in  mine  host's  ear.  The  effect  was  mag- 
ical, and  the  padrone  was  now  all  civility.  We  had  a  look 
at  the  two  men  who  were  down,  the  one  who  was  slashed 
across  the  face  being  nowhere  to  be  seen.     They  were  both 


THE  MARZOCCO  INN.  101 

quite  dead,  and  an  ill-looking  pair  of  corpses  did  they 
make. 

"  Have  these  carrion  removed,  padrone — and  beware 
how  you  say  a  word  of  what  has  happened,  signore,"  and 
the  masked  man  held  his  hand  out  to  me,  "  I  thank  you 
heartily,  and  you  will  find  I  have  a  long  memory.  Do  me 
the  favour  to  accompany  me  to  my  house." 

I  had  no  reason  to  refuse,  and  bowing  my  acknowledg- 
ments, we  left  the  inn. 


CHAPTER  X 

NICCOLO    MACHIAVELLI. 

As  we  reached  the  street,  I  expressed  the  hope  that  the 
lady  and  her  stout  companion  were  in  safety.  The  stranger 
laughed  :  "  Oh,  Buonoccorsi,  he  and  La  Sirani  are  no  doubt 
shivering  in  security  by  this  time ;  but  let  us  hasten,  for  al- 
though we  have  barely  more  than  a  couple  of  cross-bow 
shots  to  go,  our  bravos  may  return  and  have  better  luck. 
St.  John  !  but  it  was  a  narrow  affair." 

Our  way  led  back  by  Santa  Felicita,  past  the  Ponte 
Vecchio,  and  at  length  we  came  to  a  halt  before  a  small 
side  door,  let  into,  what  seemed  to  me,  nothing  but  a  vast 
blank  wall.  My  new  friend  opened  this  door  noiselessly, 
with  a  key  he  drew  from  his  pocket,  and  invited  me  to 
enter.  Pleading  ignorance  of  the  way,  however,  I  gave  him 
the  pass,  and  followed  him  up  a  narrow  and  very  dark  stair- 
way, which  opened  into  a  long  gallery,  likewise  in  semi- 
darkness.  Up  this  gallery  we  went,  then  there  was  another 
small  passage,  and  lifting  a  curtain  at  the  end  of  this,  we 
stepped  past  an  open  door  into  a  large  room,  evidently  a 
study,  for  it  was  filled  with  books  all  but  the  side  near  the 
passage,  which  was  covered  by  a  heavy  tapestry.  In  the 
middle  of  the  room  was  a  large  table,  littered  with  papers 
in  much  confusion,  and  eight  tall  candles  burning  in  a  pair 
of  grotesque  candelabra,  threw  a  bright  but  soft  light  over 
the  chamber. 

102 


NICCOLO  MACHIAVELLI.  103 

"  Sit  you  down  there,"  said  my  host,  pointing  to  a  chair, 
"  and  we  will  have  something  to  drink.  Diavolo !  You 
are  wounded  !     Why  did  you  not  say  ?  " 

I  looked  at  my  left  arm,  and  sure  enough  the  coat-sleeve 
was  red,  with  an  enlargening  patch.  It  was  only  a  trifle, 
however,  as  we  found  on  examination ;  but  my  companion, 
who  still  kept  his  mask  on,  insisted  on  bandaging  it,  which 
he  did  with  deft  fingers,  and  then  turning  to  a  curiously 
inlaid  cabinet  let  into  the  wall,  brought  thenceforth  a 
flagon  of  green  crystal  and  two  long-stemmed  Venetian 
glasses. 

Whilst  he  was  thus  engaged  my  eyes  rested  on  a  book 
on  the  table,  and  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  it  was  the  copy  of 
Plutarch's  Lives  which  Ceci  had  lent  me  on  payment,  so 
that  it  was  most  probable  that  I  was  in  the  presence  of  the 
noble,  against  whom  the  Medici  plot  was  directed,  and  in 
whose  library  the  intendant's  nephew  was  employed,  partly 
I  guessed  as  a  spy.  My  hand  was  on  the  book  as  my  host 
placed  the  glasses  on  the  table,  and  observing  the  move- 
ment, he  said  with  a  smile : 

"  I  see,  Signore,  you  not  only  carry  a  sharp  sword ;  but 
know  a  book  as  well." 

"  As  for  books,  Signore,"  I  answered,  "  I  know  but 
little  of  them.  This  one,  however,  I  thought  I  had  seen 
before." 

"  Indeed,"  he  said,  "  that  is  odd,  for  I  believe  this  is  the 
only  rendering  of  Plutarch  into  Italian  which  is  in  exist- 
ence. Strange,  too,  as  for  over  a  week  I  could  not  find  it 
anywhere." 

"  Very,"  I  answered  shortly,  and  my  host,  pouring  out  a 
glass  for  me,  helped  himself,  and  settling  comfortably  in  a 
chair  opposite  to  me,  slowly  removed  his  mask  and  laid  it 
aside.  I  saw  before  me,  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  of 
middle  height  and   slender  figure,  with  however  a  great 


104  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

dignity  of  carriage.  His  head,  covered  with  short  dark 
hair,  was  small,  but  well-shaped,  his  dark  eyes  sparkled 
with  intelligence,  and  a  slightly  aquiline  nose  curved  over  a 
pair  of  thin,  sarcastic  lips,  which  were  however  now  smiling 
at  me  with  as  much  good-humour  as  they  could  express. 

"  Books,"  he  said,  "  are  the  delight  of  my  life,  without 
them  all  would  be  stale.  Here,"  and  he  held  up  a  volume, 
"  is  a  priceless  treasure.  It  is  a  manuscript  copy  of  Cicero's 
De  Gloria.  I  obtained  it  from  my  friend,  poor  Angelo 
Poliziano."     . 

"  I  am  afraid,"  I  said,  "  I  could  only  look  at  it,  for  I 
have  not  studied  the  ancients." 

He  laid  down  the  book :  "  Of  a  truth,  men  were  giants 
in  those  days — but  hark  !  That  is  too  loud  for  a  rat."  At 
this  moment  we  heard  a  distinct  rustling  behind  the  tapes- 
try, which  hung  on  one  side  of  the  wall.  My  host  sprang 
up,  and  with  his  drawn  rapier  in  his  hand,  lifted  the  arras. 
I  followed  him ;  but  we  observed  nothing  but  a  door,  which 
was  concealed  behind  the  curtain.  "  This  is  a  private  door 
leading  to  the  corridor,  and  confound  it — it  is  open.  How 
the  devil  did  this  happen  ?  However,  this  will  make  things 
sure."  He  turned  the  key  which  was  in  the  lock,  and  re- 
moving it,  placed  it  carefully  aside  in  a  drawer,  and  his  face 
was  shaded  a  little  with  anxiety.  This  however  he  brushed 
off  like  a  fly,  and  resuming  our  seats,  he  poured  out  some 
more  wine  for  both  of  us,  and  said  : 

"  Signore,  now  that  I  observe  you  closely,  it  appears  to 
me  that  your  sword,  good  as  it  is,  has  not  helped  you  to  fill 
your  purse." 

"  It  was  able  to  save  your  life,  Messer — I  know  not  your 
name,"  I  answered  with  a  little  heat,  and  rose  as  if  to  take 
my  leave.  He  laughed  cheerfully,  and  putting  his  hand  on 
my  shoulder,  pressed  me  back  into  my  chair. 

"  Sit  down,  signore,  I  meant  no  offence,  and  my  name 


NICCOLO  MACHIAVELLI.  105 

is  Niccolo  Machiavelli.  Will  you  give  me  yours  in  re- 
turn ?  " 

I  was  then  before  the  Secretary  of  the  Council  of  Ten, 
the  crafty  politician  who  at  that  time  held  Florence  in  his 
hand,  and  with  whose  name  all  Italy  was  full.  I  now  under- 
stood Ceci's  plot  at  once,  but  the  question  was,  should  I  give 
my  right  name  ?  Sooner  or  later  the  Secretary  would  find 
out,  and  I  accordingly  answered  him  as  honestly  as  pos- 
sible. 

"  I  pass  under  the  name  of  Donati,  your  excellency,  will 

that  do?" 

He  leaned  back  reflectively.  "  I  like  confidence  when  I 
give  it,"  he  said,  "  and  yet  perhaps  it  does  not  matter.  You 
had  no  idea  who  I  was  when  you  helped  me  ? "  he  added 
with  a  quick  look. 

"  Not  in  the  slightest."  I  did  not  feel  justified  in  add- 
ing more. 

"  Well,  Signore  Donati,  I  have  work  for  which  I  want  a 
brave  man,  and  if  you  care  to  accept  it,  I  offer  it  to  you." 

"  Your  excellency,  I  will  plainly  say  that  I  hardly  know 
where  to  turn  for  employment,  in  fact,  I  am  in  such  straits 
that  I  cannot  afford  to  look  for  a  hair  in  any  egg  that  may 
fall  my  way ;  at  the  same  time  your  business  must  be  such 
as  I  can  take  with  honour." 

"  With  honour  of  course,"  he  smiled  sarcastically,  and 
then  added,  "  I  suppose  I  can  trust  you  ?  " 

"  You  need  not  give  me  the  employment,  signore,  if  you 
do  not  think  you  can  trust  me — and  pardon  me — it  is  get- 
ting late." 

"  Sit  down,  man,  I  did  but  try  you,  and  you  are  the  man 
I  want.     Where  do  you  lodge  ?  " 

"  In  the  Albizzi  Palace,  in  the  street  di  Pucci." 

"  Could  you  leave  Florence  at  a  moment's  notice  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  funds." 
8 


106         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  They  will  be  provided." 

"  Then,  yes." 

"  Enough  !  To-morrow  a  man  will  call  on  you,  precise- 
ly at  noontide,  with  a  letter.  I  want  that  letter  delivered 
into  the  hands  of  the  Cardinal  of  Rouen  at  Rome.  It  is  a 
secret  matter,  and  if  you  fail  in  it  you  may  forfeit  your  life. 
If  you  succeed,  his  eminence  will  give  you  further  occupa- 
tion.    Do  you  accept  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

As  I  said  this  we  again  heard  the  creaking  noise,  and 
Machiavelli  jumped  up  as  agilely  as  a  panther,  and  sprung 
to  the  door  behind  the  arras.  It  was  open ;  but  no  one  was 
there. 

"Maldetto  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Signore,  there  are  spies 
in  my  own  house — help  me  to  tear  down  this  tapestry." 

I  did  so,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  laid  bare  the  side  of 
the  room,  and  piled  the  tapestry  in  a  heap  against  a  book- 
shelf. 

"  That  is  better,"  Machiavelli  said,  "  you  see — the  spy, 
whoever  he  is,  must  have  a  master  key.  There  is  no  use 
going  into  the  passage  after  him ;  but  for  the  present  I 
fancy  we  are  safe.  I  must  have  a  bolt  put  on  and  keep  a 
watch.  To  resume  business  however.  You  say  you  accept, 
and  only  need  funds." 

"  Exactly  so." 

He  pulled  from  a  drawer  a  bag,  which  chinked  with  a 
pleasant  sound  to  my  ears. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  "  are  a  hundred  crowns.  It  is  your 
fee  for  the  task  I  set  you." 

"  It  is  ample." 

"  And  now,  Messer — Donati — farewell !  You  will  always 
find  a  friend  in  me.  You  know  your  way — I  have  left  the 
side  door  open — and  bear  a  loose  sword." 

"  A  word,  your  excellency." 


N1CC0L0  MACniAVELLI.  107 

«  Say  on." 

"  From  what  has  happened  to-nigl it,  I  see  plainly  that  the 
plotters  against  your  life  have  friends  very  near  you.  If 
they  failed  this  time  they  may  not  fail  again.  One  of  the 
men  who  made  the  attack  to-night  I  recognised.  He  is 
called  Brico,  formerly  an  ancient,  perhaps  still  so,  in  the 
army  of  Tremouille." 

"  I  will  attend  to  the  Signor  Brico." 

"  Yet  a  little  more.  If  your  excellency's  movements  are 
known  it  is  probably  from  within  your  own  house.  I  would 
keep  an  eye  on  your  library  scribe." 

"Per  Bacco  !  Signor  Donati,  but  you  know  too  much. 
I  am  more  and  more  your  debtor." 

"  The  hundred  crowns  have  repaid  me,"  I  replied  as  I 
took  my  departure,  having  said  all  I  dared  say  of  the  plot 
without  breaking  my  pledge  of  secrecy  to  Ceci. 

Now  it  happened  that  as  I  gained  the  corridor,  I  saw  in 
the  dim  light  a  figure  retreating  hastily  before  me ;  but 
with  noiseless  footsteps,  and  having  in  mind  the  strange 
attempt  to  play  the  spy  on  us,  I  made  no  doubt  but  that 
here  was  the  culprit,  and  followed  up.  I  saw  the  figure 
turn  at  the  end  of  the  corridor  and  enter  another  gallery, 
then  another,  and  yet  another,  finally  vanishing  as  it  were 
against  the  wall.  Owing  to  my  not  knowing  the  way  prop- 
erly, and  to  the  semi-gloom,  I  was  unable  to  follow  fast 
enough  to  overtake  the  spy,  who  flitted  before  me  like  a 
ghost,  but  in  a  very  human  hurry.  When  at  length  I  came 
up  to  the  wall,  I  looked  to  see  if  there  was  a  door  of  any 
kind ;  but  could  discern  nothing,  and  was  so  astonished 
that  for  a  moment  I  felt  a  little  chilled,  thinking  that  it 
may  have  been  a  spirit  after  all.  Fortifying  myself,  how- 
ever, with  the  thought  that  if  it  was  a  spirit,  it  seemed  in 
no  way  anxious  to  meet  me,  I  went  to  a  closer  examination, 
and  saw  by  the  moonlight  that  I  was  before  a  door,  painted 


108  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

in  exact  imitation  of  the  marble  wall.  This  settled  my 
doubts,  and  putting  my  shoulder  to  it,  I  made  a  trial,  with 
all  my  strength,  to  force  the  passage,  but  in  vain.  I  there- 
fore gave  up  the  matter,  and  turned  to  find  my  way  back. 
This  was,  however,  easier  said  than  done.  I  could  not  find 
the  gallery  I  wanted,  aud  after  groping  about  hopelessly  f or 
a  little  time,  thought  that  I  had  best  give  a  shout,  which 
would  no  doubt  summon  some  one  to  my  aid.  I  was  just 
about  to  carry  this  into  execution,  when,  on  further  reflec- 
tion, it  struck  me  that  I  might  be  landed  in  other  difficul- 
ties thereby,  and  that  I  might  make  another  try  to  free 
myself,  without  bringing  the  house  about  my  ears,  and  per- 
haps compromising  the  secretary,  who  had,  I  saw,  an  active 
and  enterprising  enemy  under  his  own  roof.  So  I  stilled 
my  tongue  and  made  further  exploration,  with  the  re- 
sult that  I  found  myself  before  a  stairway,  that  led  to 
the  floor  below  me,  and  determined  to  see  where  this 
would  take  me.  Accordingly  I  descended  as  softly  as 
possible,  and  arrived  in  a  few  steps  at  a  small  land- 
ing, covered  by  a  carpet  so  thick,  that  I  felt  as  if  I 
was  treading  on  the  softest  of  moss.  At  the  end  of  the 
landing,  and  opposite  to  me,  was  a  half-opened  door,  the 
room  inside  being  in  light.  Stepping  noiselessly  up  to 
the  door  I  peered  in,  and  saw  a  chamber  furnished  with 
the  utmost  luxury,  and  apparently  just  vacated  by  its  occu- 
pants. In  a  corner  of  the  room  stood  a  harp,  lying  on  a 
table  close  to  a  low  luxurious  seat  were  some  articles  of 
dainty  feminine  embroidery ;  soft  silken  curtains  shrouded 
the  walls,  and  the  ceiling  was  painted,  apparently  with  some 
representation  of  the  history  of  the  house.  A  white  marble 
figure  of  Cupid  held  out  at  arm's  length  a  lamp,  whose  opal 
shade  softened  its  bright  light ;  and  on  a  gilded  triangle,  set 
in  an  alcove,  swung  a  blue  and  scarlet  macaw — a  rare  East- 
ern bird — who,  with  his  head  tucked  under  his  wing,  slept 


NICCOLO   MACHIAVELLI.  109 

in  a  position  which  would  be  intolerable  torture  to  any 
other  created  thing  except  a  bird.  It  was  clear  that  I  had 
invaded  the  private  sitting-room  of  the  ladies,  or  lady  of  the 
household  ;  and  I  was  about  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  when 
the  screen  of  an  inner  room  was  swung  aside,  and  I  saw  be- 
fore me  my  two  unknowns  of  the  Garden  of  St.  Michael, 
and  the  giver  of  the  tari  which  had  saved  me  from  death. 
It  was  too  late  to  go  back  now,  as  the  sound  of  my  feet  on 
the  marble  stairs  would  certainly  reach,  and  perhaps  alarm 
them,  tread  I  ever  so  softly ;  so  I  resolved  to  stay  where  I  was 
until  they  retired  again,  and  then  go  back.  This  I  judged 
would  be  very  shortly  as  it  was  late.  I  had  not  however 
sufficient  experience  then,  of  the  lengths  to  which  those  noc- 
turnal confidences,  in  which  the  fair  sex  indulge  with  each 
other,  extend.  In  the  meantime  I  could  not  but  admire  the 
graceful  figures  before  me,  and  especially  of  her,  who  had 
given  me  the  tari.  Clad  in  a  soft  clinging  robe,  clasped  by 
a  jewel  at  her  throat,  and  a  silver  girdle  round  her  waist, 
with  her  pale  proud  features  set  in  a  mass  of  dark  hair,  she 
seemed  to  me  an  embodiment  of  pure  womanhood,  and  I 
thought  how  lucky  the  man  would  be  who  could  have  such 
a  companion  to  help  him  through  life.  I  guessed  also  that 
the  other  was  the  wife  of  Machiavelli,  being  aided  thereto 
by  her  statement,  when  I  drove  Luigi  off,  that  her  husband 
was  one  who  could  help  me  much.  At  the  same  time  I 
could  not  but  feel  some  pity  in  my  heart  for  her,  when  I 
thought  she  was  wedded  to  a  man  of  a  character  so  contra- 
dictory  as  that  of  the  Secretary,  who  could  leave  a  fair  wife 
for  the  sake  of  indulging  in  low  dissipation,  and  come  back 
after  a  narrow  escape  with  his  life,  to  bury  himself  in  mat- 
ters of  state,  or  in  the  perusal  of  the  ancients.  However 
there  was  no  sign  of  sorrow  on  her  fair  and  mirthful  face, 
as  with  all  the  teasing  nature  of  a  kitten,  she  walked  up  to 
the  macaw  and  stirred  him  up  with  her  white  fingers,  an 


HO  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

attention  he  did  not  appear  to  relish,  for  he  ruffled  his 
plume,  and  let  forth  an  ear-piercing  shriek. 

"  Heavens !  "  she  laughed,  "  how  that  bird  screams  !  He 
is  almost  as  cross  as  you,  Angiola." 

"  Thanks,"  replied  the  other ;  "  I  do  sympathise  with 
the  bird  though,  for  you  never  leave  off  teasing.  It  is 
enough  to  make  a  saint  cross,  Marietta." 

"  Well,  I  won't  tease  any  more,"  and  Marietta  put  her 
hand  on  her  friend's  shoulder.  "  I  am  sure  though  it  was 
he,  and  I  will  have  that  last  word." 

I  wondered  to  whom  the  reference  was  made,  as  Angiola 
replied :  "  I  really  do  not  care  if  it  was ;  but  there  is  a 
draught,  and  I  must  shut  this  door." 

She  came  up  so  quickly  that  there  was  no  time  to  re- 
treat, and  in  a  moment  I  was  discovered. 

She  gave  a  little  cry,  and  stepped  back. 

"  Who  are  you,  sir  ?    How  dare  you ! " 

I  saw  that  the  other  was  going  to  scream  out,  and  burst 
forth  :  "  Madam,  I  implore  you  to  be  still.  There  is  abso- 
lutely no  danger.  I  have  had  business  with  his  excellency, 
and  missed  my  way.  Pardon  the  intrusion,"  and  I  stood 
with  my  cap  in  my  hand. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  the  Lady  Angiola,  "  as  you  have  found 
out  that  you  have  missed  your  way,  had  you  not  better  turn 
back?" 

"  Why,  Angiola,  it  is  the  gentleman  who  rescued  us  in 
the  gardens  !  "  called  out  Madonna  Marietta,  with  a  sudden 
recognition. 

"  Who  looks  as  if  he  were  here  now,  to  make  up  for  it  by 
cutting  our  throats.  According  to  you  he  should  have  been 
dying  of  starvation  at  Santa  Felicita." 

"  Madam,"  I  cut  in,  "  I  wish  I  had  died  of  starvation 
rather  than  heard  this.  I  will  however  restore  what  I  have 
received.     If  you  can  only  show  me  the  way  out  of  this 


NICCOLO  MACHIAVELLI.  Ill 

house  I  shall  be  grateful,  and  I  again  seek  pardon  for  dis- 
turbing you." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  speaking  the  truth.  Come,  give  me 
that  candle,  Marietta." 

The  other  handed  her  a  candlestick,  and  refusing  my 
proffer  to  bear  it,  and  with  a  curt  request  to  walk  in  front, 
she  directed  and  led  me  along  the  interminable  galleries 
until  I  recognised  the  corridor  from  which  I  entered.  I  was 
again  about  to  thank  her,  but  she  simply  pointed  to  the  door. 

"  Your  way  lies  there,  sir." 

I  opened  the  door  and  stepped  on  to  the  stairway  with- 
out another  word.  In  shutting  the  door  behind  me  I  glanced 
once  more  in  her  direction.  She  was  already  on  her  way 
back,  the  single  candle  throwing  its  soft  light  on  her  loose 
robes  and  graceful  figure. 

I  made  my  way  down  the  stairs,  at  the  end  realising  the 
sensation  of  suddenly  finding  my  foot  meet  the  ground  after 
the  last  step.  I  thought  there  was  yet  another  and  was 
brought  up  with  a  nasty  jerk.  Stepping  out  softly  into  the 
street,  and  holding  my  drawn  sword  in  my  hand,  I  hurried 
towards  my  abode.  When  I  had  gone  about  fifty  paces,  I 
heard  the  sound  of  a  door  opening  and  shutting  behind  me, 
but  thinking  it  was  the  wind  playing  with  the  door  I  had 
left  unlocked,  having  no  key,  I  took  no  notice,  and  went 
on ;  but  soon  became  aware  I  was  being  followed.  I  stopped 
therefore,  and  deliberately  faced  round.  The  footsteps  be- 
hind me  instantly  ceased,  and  I  could  make  out  through  the 
moonlight,  the  shadowy  figure  of  a  man,  stooping  as  if  to 
search  for  something.  This  was  of  course  nothing  but  a  pre- 
tence, and  I  had  half  a  mind  to  go  back  and  question  him. 
Reflecting,  however,  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  avoid  any  fur- 
ther adventures  for  the  night,  and  that  after  all  it  was  but 
one  man,  I  went  on,  and  my  pursuer  did  likewise,  but  at  a 
greater  distance  than  before,  until  finally  apparently  gave 


112         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

the  matter  up  seeing  I  was  on  my  guard.  Crossing  the 
square  of  Santa  Felicita,  however,  I  saw  some  one  running 
swiftly  a  little  ahead  of  me,  and  then  disappear  behind  the 
shelter  of  the  small  casino  of  the  Medici  which  stood  there. 
I  felt  sure  it  was  my  shadower.  He  had  passed  me  by  some 
short  cut,  and  was  now  probably  intending  to  bring  matters 
to  a  head.  Keeping  well  in  the  middle  of  the  road  I  went 
on,  and  to  my  surprise  saw  nothing,  but  in  a  short  time 
again  became  conscious  that  I  was  dogged,  and  dropping 
into  an  artifice  quickened  my  pace  to  a  run.  The  sound  of 
rapid  footsteps  behind  me,  showed  that  my  curious  friend 
was  doing  likewise,  and  not  to  deprive  him  of  the  exercise, 
I  kept  up  the  pace,  until  we  reached  the  street  di  Pucci  and 
were  close  to  my  lodging.  Here  I  faced  about  and  ran  back 
full  speed  at  my  pursuer,  feeling  sure  that  the  burst  I  had 
given  him  would  try  all  his  speed  to  get  away.  He  so  little 
calculated  on  my  change  of  front,  that  he  ran  on  about 
twenty  yards,  before  realising  what  was  the  matter.  Then 
he  turned  round  and  was  about  to  make  off,  when  I  reached 
him,  and  driving  him  against  the  wall  held  him  there,  with 
the  point  of  my  sword  at  his  breast.  Imagine  my  surprise 
on  seeing  before  me  the  young  man  with  whom  Ceci  had 
gone  away  on  our  return  from  the  funeral  of  Corte's 
daughter.  He  was  doubtless  also  the  spy  of  the  evening, 
and  now,  with  a  face  white  with  either  terror  or  anger 
crouched  against  the  wall,  holding  a  dagger  in  his  hand ; 
but  any  attempt  to  use  it  would  have  been  useless. 

"Well,"  I  said,  "have  you  had  enough  of  this?"  and  I 
emphasised  the  question  with  a  sharp  prick. 

"  Mercy ! "  he  called  out,  thinking  his  last  hour  come, 
and  scrabbled  on  to  the  pavement. 

"  Be  off  with  you  then  !  "  I  said,  and  assisted  his  depar- 
ture with  a  hearty  kick  as  he  rose.  He  needed  no  second 
bidding,  but  made  off  at  a  good  pace. 


NICCOLO  MACHIAVELLI.  113 

When  his  figure  mingled  up  with  the  haze,  and  was  lost 
to  view,  I  proceeded  on  my  way  wondering  a  little  at  the 
incident.  I  could  not  help  connecting  it  with  the  affair  in 
the  Secretary's  room — the  man  I  had  chased  up  the  endless 
galleries  of  his  house,  and  the  attempt  at  murder  in  the 
Marzocco  Inn.  Why  was  I  followed  ?  I  could  not  make 
this  out ;  but  thankful  that  I  had  escaped  with  a  whole 
skin,  climbed  up  the  winding  stairway  of  the  tower  which 
led  to  my  chamber.  Carefully  shutting  the  door,  I  lit  my 
candle,  and  emptied  out  the  contents  of  the  bag  I  had  re- 
ceived from  Machiavelli  on  to  my  bed  so  that  the  coins 
might  make  no  sound. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE   LETTER   TO    d'AMBOISE. 

I  could  have  thrown  my  cap  over  the  housetops,  I  could 
have  shouted  for  joy,  as  I  saw  the  coins  spread  out  before 
me.  I  stooped  over  them,  holding  the  candle  aloft  in  one 
hand,  whilst  I  ran  the  fingers  of  the  other  through  the 
clinking  metal.  There  they  lay !  broad,  shining  pieces  of 
silver,  flecked,  here  and  again,  with  the  mellower  light  of 
gold.  At  one  stroke,  when  my  luck  was  apparently  at  its 
lowest  ebb,  it  had  turned  again,  and  was  coming  up  in  high 
tide.  Not  only  this,  I  was  to  go  to  Rome,  the  very  place  of 
all  others  where  I  was  likely  to  meet  D'Entrangues;  and  I 
breathed  an  impious  prayer,  that  good  angels  might  see  he 
came  to  no  hurt  until  we  met,  and  even  as  I  prayed  the 
vision  of  that  dying  woman  who  forgave  with  her  last 
breath,  came  before  me.  My  hand  shook  so  that  I  could 
barely  hold  the  candle,  and  turning  away,  I  placed  it  on  the 
table  and  went  up  to  my  window.  Midnight  was  long  past 
and  we  were  touching  the  morning.  The  only  sound  that 
broke  the  stillness  was  the  distant  clang  of  the  martinelio, 
keeping  up  its  insistent  beat ;  but  the  wind  was  from  me, 
and  the  chime  came  softened  to  my  ears.  Already  the  east 
was  whitening,  and  the  moon  was  sinking  to  rest.  All  the 
old  half-formed  resolutions  I  had  made,  to  let  my  enemy's 
crime  pass,  to  leave  vengeance  in  the  hands  of  God,  came 
up  and  fought  with  the  fierce  desire  that  the  apparent  op- 
portunity of  meeting  D'Entrangues  again,  had  fanned  into 

114 


THE  LETTER  TO  D'AMBOISE.  115 

life.  What  had  not  that  man  done  to  me  ?  How  could  I 
forgive  ?  We  are  all  not  framed  in  the  same  way.  A  ten- 
der woman  might  condone  what  man  would  never  pass  over. 
Why  should  I  not  be  the  instrument  of  God's  punishment 
on  that  man?  Without  Him  nothing  was  possible,  and  if  I 
succeeded  in  killing  D'Entrangues  would  it  not  mean  that 
the  deed  had  his  sanction  ?  On  the  other  hand,  there  were 
the  words  of  Savonarola's  text,  and  the  forgiveness  I  had 
seen  with  mine  own  eyes.  Tossed  by  doubt,  now  resolved, 
now  wavering — at  one  time  certain  I  was  right  to  be  my 
own  law,  at  another  encompassed  by  a  terrible  fear  of  sin — 
I  did  what  all  men  have  to  do  at  some  time  or  other :  I 
sank  down  on  my  knees,  and  wrestled  with  the  temptation. 
1  do  not  know  what  words  of  prayer  I  used,  or  how  long  I 
was  there ;  but  I  can  say  this,  that  when  I  rose,  my  mind 
was  at  rest,  and  I  had  won  a  fight  with  myself.  I  would 
leave  D'Entrangues  to  the  justice  of  God.  And  for  my 
honour  ?  I  would  win  it  back  again,  not  in  distant  lands, 
but  here — here,  where  it  was  taken  from  me,  and  then — 
what  a  fool  I  was !  When  my  shield  was  white  once  more, 
I  would  sheathe  my  sword,  rebuild  our  old  castle  in  the 
Sabine  Hills,  and  there,  perhaps — oh !  I  dreamed  mad 
things  when  that  peace  fell  upon  me.  But  there  was  such 
a  prosaic  matter  as  sleep,  and  I  had  work  for  the  morrow, 
so  I  pulled  myself  together,  and  with  a  mind  more  com- 
fortable than  for  many  a  day,  swept  the  coins  into  the  bag, 
saw  again  to  the  fastening  of  the  door,  and,  seeking  my  bed, 
slept  a  dreamful  sleep  until  aroused  by  the  cooing  of  my 
friends  the  pigeons.  It  was  with  a  very  different  air  that  I 
went  down  the  stairs  that  morning,  and  I  realised,  from 
contrast,  how  brave  a  heart  a  full  purse  can  make.  I  meant 
to  have  paid  Ccci  at  once,  but  he  was  not  in  his  office,  so  I 
breakfasted  in  a  leisurely  manner,  at  the  sign  of  the  Double 
Florin  and  then  returned. 


116         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  the  Albizzi  Palace,  I  went  straight 
to  Ceci's  office,  and  found  him  engaged  in  conversation 
with  a  man.  The  latter  started  when  he  saw  me,  and  hur- 
riedly took  his  departure ;  but  not  before  I  recognised  in 
him  Ceci's  nephew,  and  my  shadow  of  last  night.  He  gave 
me  no  friendly  look  as  he  went  out ;  perhaps  he  was  sore 
with  the  memory  of  the  end  of  my  boot,  and  I  had  a  mind 
to  give  him  the  day,  but  prudently  held  my  tongue  between 
my  teeth.  Ceci  was  looking  much  disturbed  and  annoyed, 
and  I  laughed  secretly  to  myself  as  I  thought  that,  after  all, 
I  had  been  the  instrument  of  upsetting  the  political  plot  to 
murder,  in  which  the  old  conspirator  had  a  share. 

"  A  good  day  to  you,  Messer  Ceci,"  I  said.  "  I  have 
come  to  settle  my  account." 

"  It  is  of  long  standing,"  he  replied,  somewhat  brusque- 
ly ;  but  I  was  not  going  to  lose  my  temper,  as  I  had  things 
to  find  out. 

"  All  the  more  pleasure  in  receiving  it,"  and  placing  a 
couple  of  gold  pieces  on  the  table,  I  received  my  quittance 
and  change. 

"  Messer  Ceci,"  I  went  on,  "  I  leave  Florence  to-day  and 
there  has  been  ill  blood  between  us — your  making  entirely. 
I  cannot  forget,  however,  that  when  I  was  ill  you  helped 
me  much,  and  that  in  other  ways  you  were  kind.  Let  us 
part  friends — and,  Messer  Ceci,  you  are  old.  I  would  ad- 
vise you  to  let  matters  of  state  alone." 

He  looked  at  me,  and  the  corners  of  his  mouth  hardened, 
as  he  said,  "  Leave  me  and  my  age  alone,  Messer  Donati. 
If  it  was  not  for  you,  there  would  have  been  a  deed  done 
last  night  at  which  all  Florence  would  have  rung  again." 

"  So  your  precious  nephew  brought  the  news  to  you 
this  morning  ?  "  I  answered  with  a  question,  hazarding  a  shot. 

Ceci  remained  silent,  and  drawing  my  conclusions,  I 
went  on,  "  Had  what  you  plotted  succeeded,  you  would  have 


THE  LETTER  TO  D'AMBOISE.  117 

been  in  a  fair  way  to  taste  the  arms  of  the  rack.  Even 
now  you  are  not  safe.  You  see,  Ceci,  I  know  too  much, 
and  it  would  be  wise  to  be  civil." 

"  Not  safe,"  and  he  laughed  scornfully — "  who  says  I  am 

not  safe  ?  " 

«  i  (j0 — remember  the  Secretary  has  long  arms." 
"  There  are  others  who  have  longer,  Messer  Donati,  and 
a  dead  tongue  can  tell  no  tales." 

"  I  take  your  warning,"  I  replied,  and,  turning  on  my 
heel,  sought  my  chamber  to  await  Machiavelli's  messenger. 
I  could  not  help  thinking  I  had  been  wise  to  force  the 
conversation  with  the  intendant  as  I  had  done,  and  was  sure, 
now  that  Ceci  and  the  other  conspirators  were  aware  who 
had  spoiled  their  soup,  they  would  devote  a  little  attention 
to  me.  It  behooved  me  therefore  to  wear  a  loose  sword  for 
the  future,  and  look  well  into  corners  before  I  passed 
them.  I  was  not  sure  moreover  whether  I  should  still  con- 
sider myself  bound  by  my  promise  of  secrecy,  now  that  I 
had  been  as  much  as  told  that  the  conspirators  were  likely 
to  include  me  in  their  plans,  and  turn  their  knives  on  me. 
I  could  well  see  that  the  Secretary  would  not  be  able  to 
retaliate  by  the  open  process  of  the  law,  against  the  attack 
made  on  him,  considering  the  circumstances  under  which 
it  took  place.  That  he  would  do  so,  however,  under  the 
mask,  I  felt  sure,  and  he  had  received  sufficient  warning. 
Whilst  thus  reflecting  I  heard  the  gong  in  the  yard  below 
me  strike  twelve,  and  shortly  after  heavy  steps  ascended 
the  stairs,  with  the  sound  of  much  puffing  and  blowing. 
The  new  arrival  stopped  at  my  landing,  and  knocked  firmly 
at  my  door.  Thinking  it  best  to  be  careful,  I  unsheathed 
my  sword,  and  letting  down  the  bolt,  stepped  back  a  pace 
before  I  called  out,  "  Come  in."  The  door  opened,  and  in 
walked  my  stout  friend,  who  had  retreated  so  rapidly  from 
the  bravos  at  the  Marzocco, 


H8  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  Messer  Donati  ?  "  he  said  with  an  inquiring  look. 

"  The  same,"  I  bowed,  and  offered  him  a  chair. 

"  The  devil ! "  he  exclaimed,  sinking  into  it,  "  but  it  is 
like  an  ascent  to  heaven  for  a  sinner  to  reach  you,"  and  he 
mopped  his  face  with  a  large  handkerchief,  "that  cur- 
mudgeon downstairs,  the  intendant,  flatly  refused  to  in- 
form me  where  you  were,  until  I  mentioned  I  came  from 
the  Secretary." 

"  You  mentioned  that !  " 

"  Yes — or  diavolo  ! — how  was  I  to  find  you  ?  Let  me  tell 
you,  sir,  your  consequence  was  much  increased  thereby,"  he 
puffed  rather  than  spoke. 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it,"  and  I  marvelled  at  Machiavelli 
having  selected  this  garrulous  fool  to  be  the  bearer  of  his 
letter. 

Subsequently  I  discovered  that  the  Secretary  did  this 
deliberately,  in  order,  if  complications  arose,  to  be  able  to 
deny  that  he  had  any  hand  in  a  transaction,  in  which  an 
obscure  soldier  like  myself,  and  a  notorious  old  scamp  like 
Buonoccorsi  had  borne  part.  In  fact  he  very  often  adopted 
an  artifice  such  as  this,  namely  first  sending  public  de- 
spatches solemnly  by  a  known  official  of  state,  and  follow- 
ing them  up  at  once  by  a  secret  letter,  which  either  con- 
firmed them,  or  put  quite  a  different  complexion  on  their 
meaning ;  taking  care  to  choose  his  messengers  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  would  have  nothing  to  fear  from  failure  of 
theirs. 

"  I  have  come  with  a  letter  for  you,"  Buonoccorsi  con- 
tinued, and  pulling  from  a  breast  pocket  a  sealed  but  un- 
addressed  packet,  he  handed  it  to  me.  "  His  excellency," 
he  said,  "  tells  me  you  know  what  to  do  with  this." 

"  I  do,"  I  gave  answer,  and  examining  the  seals  care- 
fully, put  the  letter  in  the  pocket  of  a  vest,  which  I  wore 
under  my  buff-coat, 


THE  LETTER  TO  D'AMBOISE.  119 

"Then  that  is  done,"  he  replied,  "and  now,  signore, 
have  you  anything  to  drink — my  throat  is  like  a  lime- 
kiln?" 

"  I  am  sorry  I  have  not,  hut  if  you  will  accompany  me 
to  the  Marzocco." 

"  The  Marzocco  !  Blood  of  St.  John  !  No  more  Mar- 
zoccos  for  me,"  he  burst  in,  as  the  red  went  out  of  his  cheek 
at  the  very  thought  of  hist  night's  affair.  "  Man  alive !  if 
Florence  only  knew  what  happened  last  night,  the  whole 
place  would  be  in  an  uproar.  It  was  lucky  for  the  Secre- 
tary that  you  came  to  his  aid,  as  I  had  to  protect  La  Sirani 
— ladies  first,  you  know — and  could  not  help  his  excellency 
in  any  way." 

"  I  see,"  I  replied. 

"  Oh ! "  he  went  on,  "  there  were  three  others  in  the 
street,  but  presto !  I  disarmed  one,  pinked  another,  and 
the  third  would  have  met  a  like  fate,  had  not  La  Sirani 
hung  on  my  arm  in  her  fright,  so  he  made  off.  I  would 
have  pursued,  but,  hampered  with  the  lady,  what  could  I 

do?" 

"And   is  not  Florence  to  know  what  happened  last 

night  ?  "  I  asked. 

He  winked  his  eye,  and  replied — 

"  Between  you  and  me,  Messer  Donati,  I  think  not. 
You  see  the  Secretary  has  a  fair  wife,  and  they  say  Madonna 
Marietta  possesses  a  tongue  as  well  as  beauty.  Apart  from 
this,  you  must  be  aware,  as  a  man  of  the  world " 

"  Quite  so,"  and  I  rose  with  a  smile,  "  but  you  must 
allow  me  to  see  that  you  cool  that  lime-kiln  of  yours.  I  am 
only  sorry  I  must  ask  you  to  come  a  little  way  with  me." 

"  Oh  !  I  would  go  a  long  way  for  a  can,  Signor  Donati, 
and  will  drink  one  gladly  to  your  health." 

So  saying  he  got  up,  and  we  went  down  and  out  into  the 
street.     I  took  him  to  my  ordinary,  "  The  Double  Florin," 


120  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  he  took  a  long  time  in  quenching  his  thirst.  "When  at 
last  he  had  done,  he  wished  me  good  day,  and  we  parted, 
not  deeming  it  desirable  to  be  seen  too  much  together  in 
the  streets,  and  besides  I  had  much  to  do  to  get  off  by  the 
evening.  I  made  up  my  mind  to  recover  the  gold  tari  I 
had  pledged,  and  after  that  to  buy  a  horse  and  quit  Flor- 
ence at  once.  The  tari  itself  I  should  have  liked  to  have 
returned,  as  I  had  promised,  or  rather  said  in  my  anger  last 
night  that  I  would ;  but  I  could  see  no  way  of  doing  thia* 
without  attracting  too  much  attention.  On  my  way  to  the 
pawnbroker's  I  kept  my  eyes  well  open,  and  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  library  scribe,  walking  on  the  other  side  of 
the  road,  engaged  in  conversation  with  a  man,  who,  despite 
his  common  dress,  had  an  air  of  rank.  The  latter  parted 
from  Ceci's  nephew  almost  as  soon  as  I  saw  them,  and  the 
scribe  kept  on  in  my  direction.  I  saw  he  was  again  follow- 
ing me,  and  regretted  the  mercy  I  had  shown  last  night, 
resolving,  if  opportunity  afforded  again,  to  quiet  his  curi- 
osity for  some  time  to  come.  I  duly  redeemed  the  tari, 
somewhat  to  the  surprise  of  the  pawnbroker,  whose  pledges 
did  not  as  a  rule  pass  so  swiftly  back  into  the  hands  of  their 
rightful  owners.  On  coming  out  of  the  shop,  my  follower 
was  nowhere  to  be  seen  at  first ;  but  he  soon  appeared,  al* 
ways  keeping  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  I  resolved 
not  to  go  back  to  my  lodging,  but  to  quit  Florence  the  mo- 
ment I  had  secured  my  horse.  It  was  necessary  however  to 
provide  some  change  of  attire.  I  did  not  intend  to  substi- 
tute a  steel  corslet  for  my  buff-coat,  having  a  mind  to  fight 
my  way  back  to  fortune  with  no  defence  but  that  over  my 
heart,  and  contented  myself  with  purchasing  a  light  steel 
helmet,  a  pair  of  stout  riding-boots,  a  cloak,  and  some  other 
articles  which  could  go  into  a  small  valise,  capable  of  being 
fastened  on  to  the  back  of  a  saddle.  These  I  left  at  the 
vendor's,  promising  to  call  for  them  in  an  hour  or  so,  and 


THE  LETTER  TO   D'AMBOISE.  121 

hurried  towards  the  horse  market,  my  shadow  still  keeping 
behind  me,  in  his  accustomed  place.  Opposite  the  Bap- 
tistry I  heard,  to  my  surprise,  some  one  shouting  my  name, 
and  looking  in  that  direction,  saw  a  man  running  across 
the  pavement  towards  me.  I  recognised  at  once  one  of  my 
lances,  Jacopo  Jacopi,  a  Lucchese,  whom  I  had  every  reason 
to  believe  devoted  to  me.  He  had  served  with  me  at  For- 
novo  and  after ;  and  although  he  subsequently  left  me  for  a 
little  time,  on  my  joining  the  Venetian  fleet  against  the 
Turks,  he  returned  to  my  banner  once  more,  when  it  was 
spread  on  firm  ground,  and  had  always  proved  a  devoted 
follower.  He  came  now  to  me  with  joy  on  his  face,  shout- 
ing out,  "  Ah,  excellency !  It  is  I,  who  am  a  glad  man  to 
see  you." 

"Jacopi,"  I  exclaimed,  "but  my  name  is  no  longer 
Savelli.     It  is  Donati  now — and  what  do  you  here  ?  " 

He  looked  a  trifle  embarrassed,  as  he  replied,  "  I  am 
seeking  service — I  left  the  army  when  your  excellency  left." 

Knowing  the  man  to  be  a  stout  soldier,  I  decided  on  the 
instant  what  to  do. 

"  See  here,"  I  said,  "  I  have  no  time  to  lose.  Will  you 
follow  me  once  more  ?  I  am  bound  to  Rome  on  an  urgent 
affair,  and  leave  to-day." 

"  "Will  a  dog  sniff  at  a  bone  ?  Will  a  cat  pass  by  cream  ? 
Will  an  ass  turn  up  his  nose  at  a  carrot?  I  will  follow  to 
the  devil,  let  alone  Rome,  excellency,  and  at  once  if  you 
will." 

"  Have  you  a  horse  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  signore,  but  an  arquebus  and  my  sword,  which 
I  have  at  my  lodging." 

"  Then  come  with  me,  we  must  buy  two  horses,  and 
leave  at  once." 

"  I  am  ready,  your  worship,"  and  taking  his  place  a  little 

behind  me  we  hurried  on. 
9 


122  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  We  will  have  a  hard  task  to  get  at  Rome,  now  that  the 
whole  country  is  up,  signore,"  said  Jacopo  as  we  walked 
along. 

"  I  have  thought  of  that,"  I  answered,  "  I  propose  to  go 
by  Leghorn,  and  taking  ship  there,  proceed  to  Rome  by 
sea." 

Jacopo  gave  such  a  groan  at  this,  that  I  turned  round 
in  surprise,  and  became  at  once  aware  that  my  shadower 
had  crossed  the  road,  and  come  so  close  up  to  us  that  he 
must  have  overheard  every  word  of  our  conversation.  This 
was  most  annoying,  and  a  disaster  of  which  the  future  con- 
sequences might  be  most  serious.  I  determined  however  to 
be  rid  of  him  for  the  rest  of  my  stay  in  Florence  at  any 
rate,  and  addressed  him  sharply — 

"  Signore,  I  seem  to  have  excited  much  curiosity  in  you. 
May  I  ask  what  it  is  you  want  ?  " 

He  stood  for  a  moment,  at  a  loss  for  reply,  and  then 
said,  "  The  road  is  as  free  to  me  as  to  you." 

"  I  admit  that,"  I  said  ;  "  but  I  object  to  your  stopping 
to  listen  to  my  conversation,  and  therefore  will  be  obliged 
by  your  passing  on,  unless  you  want  a  more  severe  punish- 
ment than  you  received  last  night." 

He  turned  pale  with  anger,  and  slipped  his  hand  into 
his  vest ;  but  as  suddenly  pulled  it  out  again,  and  without 
another  word  hurried  past  us. 

"  Mark  that  man,  Jacopo ; "  I  said,  "  wherever  he  is, 
there  is  danger  for  us." 

"  Your  excellency  has  only  to  say  the  word,"  and  Jacopo 
put  his  hand  to  his  belt. 

"  Not  so,  my  friend.  Florence  is  not  a  safe  place  for  a 
man  to  use  his  dagger  in  broad  daylight,  unless  covered  by 
the  cloak  of  a  great  man.  Besides  it  is  not  to  my  taste. 
Merely  keep  your  eyes  open,  and  if  you  see  him  anywhere, 
tell  me  at  once." 


THE  LETTER  TO  D'AMBOISE.  123 

"  It  shall  be  so,"  he  answered ;  "  but  who  would  inquire 
about  a  mere  citizen  like  that  ?  " 

"  Never  mind,  Jacopo ;  rest  assured  I  know  what  I  am 
about,  and  now  tell  me  some  news  of  the  army." 

"  The  duke  is  in  full  march  on  Perugia,  and  means  to 
drive  Oesare  thence.  The  whole  country  is  awake,  as  you 
know.  The  general,  Ives  d'Alegres,  is  come  on  a  mission  to 
Florence. " 

"  Ives  d'Alegres  here  ! " 

"  Yes,  excellency,  and  the  Lord  of  Bayard  has  hurried 
to  Koine." 

"  Then  this  means  something  that  I  cannot  follow." 

"  Nor  can  I  explain,  excellency." 

"  And  tell  me,  has  the  Duchesse  de  la  Tremouille  gone 
back  to  France  ?  " 

"  Yes,  by  sea  from  Leghorn,  with  a  great  train  of  ladies, 
just  before  war  was  declared  again.  It  is  said  she  has  gone 
to  the  court  of  the  king  at  Macon,  and  the  escort  was  com- 
manded by  the  Count  Carlo  Visconti." 

"  Do  you  know  any  who  went  with  her  ?  " 

"  Nearly  all  the  ladies  who  were  at  Arezzo,  for  the  duke, 
it  is  said,  would  have  none  of  them,  now  that  war  was  begun 
again." 

I  had  to  come  to  the  question  direct,  "  Was  Madame 
d'Entrangues  in  the  train  of  the  duchess?" 

"  I  am  sure  of  that,  excellency.  I  was  with  them  as  far 
\  as  Siena,  when  I  took  my  leave." 

So  she  had  gone,  and  I  felt  a  relief  at  the  news.  Once 
in  France,  she  would  bo  safe  with  her  family,  and  I  was 
honestly  glad  she  was  out  of  the  dangers  of  the  time. 

We  now  reached  the  horse  market,  and  with  some  search 
discovered  two  likely-looking  animals,  whose  price  was  with- 
in the  measure  of  my  purse.  I  could  not  afford  to  pick  and 
choose  to  any  great  extent,  but  for  forty  crowns  became  the 


124  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

owner — after  a  little  trial,  which  showed  they  were  as  sound 
as  I  could  see — of  two  nags,  one  a  bay,  and  the  other  a  rus- 
set, with  an  off  foot  white  above  the  pastern,  an  unlucky 
colour,  and  the  white  marking  denoted  devilty.  But  he  was 
a  shrewd-looking  beast,  and  I  kept  him  for  myself,  giving 
the  bay  to  Jacopo.  Having  paid  on  the  spot  for  these,  to- 
gether with  the  necessary  saddlery,  we  rode  to  the  shop 
where  I  had  left  my  purchases,  and  collected  them.  It  was 
here  that  the  idea  struck  me  that  there  was  an  opportunity 
to  keep  my  word,  and  return  her  gift  to  Madonna  Angiola ; 
therefore  asking  messer  the  shopkeeper  for  sealing-wax  and 
some  parchment,  which  he  willingly  supplied  on  a  small 
payment,  I  carefully  folded  up  the  tari,  and  sealed  up  the 
packet.  Taking  it  in  my  hand,  I  went  out  to  Jacopo,  who 
was  holding  the  horses,  and  said — 

"  See  here,  Jacopo.  Take  this  packet  to  the  house  of 
the  secretary  Machiavelli.  It  lies  in  the  ward  San  Spirito, 
near  Santa  Felicita,  and  cannot  be  missed.  Deliver  it  into 
the  hands  of  the  Lady  Angiola,  say  nothing,  and  come  away. 
There  is  no  reply  needed,  you  follow  ?  " 

"  Excellency." 

"  Right.  Then  after  doing  this  you  may  dine,  collect 
your  arms,  and  meet  me  in  an  hour  and  a-half  at  the  San 
Frediano  Gate.  And  you  might  as  well  bring  a  feed  for  the 
horses  with  you.     Stay,  here  are  two  crowns." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  your  worship.  I  know  the  Secretary's 
house,  and  the  rest  is  simple." 

He  mounted  his  horse,  and  trotted  off ;  and  reflecting 
that  a  chaffinch  in  a  cage  is  better  than  a  mavis  in  a  bush, 
and  that  I  might  as  well  dine  now  whilst  I  had  the  chance, 
I  swung  myself  into  the  saddle,  and  proceeded  at  a  smart 
pace  towards  the  Double  Florin. 

I  had  to  cross  the  piazza  of  the  Signory  on  my  way 
there,  and  whilst  doing  so  came  face  to  face  with  a  riding 


THE  LETTER  TO  D'AMBOISE.  125 

party.  It  was  composed  of  several  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
and  amongst  them  was  Machiavelli,  who  glanced  at  me  with 
a  friendly  twinkle  in  his  eye,  and  gave  me  an  imperceptible 
nod  of  approval.  Almost  immediately  behind  him  was  old 
Ives  d'Alegres,  riding  with  a  bolt  upright  seat,  and  making 
himself  agreeable,  in  his  bear-like  manner,  to  the  Lady  An- 
giola,  who  rode  beside  him.  There  was  no  avoiding  them, 
and  yielding  to  a  sudden  impulse  I  saluted  as  they  came  up. 
A  look  of  contempt  spread  over  the  features  of  tbe  general, 
who  made  no  response,  and  Madonna  Angiola  kept  her  eyes 
fixed  before  her,  as  if  she  had  seen  nothing.  They  passed  by 
in  a  moment,  leaving  me  speechless  with  anger,  for  owing 
to  my  failure  to  preserve  a  disguise,  I  had  allowed  my 
beard  to  grow  again,  and  D'Alegres  without  doubt  recog- 
nised me.  There  was  some  excuse  perhaps  for  him ; 
but  none,  I  could  think  of,  for  her,  and  to  add  to  my 
chagrin,  I  thought  that  Jacopo  would  probably  waste 
hours  in  awaiting  her  return.  I  let  my  horse  out  to 
a  hand  gallop,  notwithstanding  the  pavement,  and  luckily 
doing  no  injury  to  any  of  the  passers-by  or  to  him, 
pulled  up  in  a  few  minutes  at  the  door  of  my  ordinary. 
Here,  although  I  tried  to  eat,  I  was  so  angry  that  I  could 
only  trifle  with  my  food,  and  raging  within  myself,  I  drank 
a  full  measure  of  wine,  swallowed  such  morsels  as  I  could, 
and  went  to  see  after  my  horse.  By  my  directions  he  had 
a  light  feed,  and  was  being  rubbed  down.  As  provision 
against  accidents,  I  purchased  a  bottle  of  Chianti,  together 
with  a  roast  fowl  and  a  loaf  of  white  bread,  and  these  I 
placed  in  my  saddle-bags.  Then,  seeing  to  the  saddling  of 
the  horse  myself,  I  exchanged  my  velvet  cap  for  the  steel 
helmet,  and  drawing  my  sword-belt  in  by  a  hole,  sprang 
into  the  saddle,  and  went  on  at  a  leisurely  pace  towards  the 
San  Frediano  Gate.  There  was  still  plenty  of  time,  so  I 
made  no  hurry,  and  indeed,  when  I  reached  the  gate,  the 


126  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

gong  there  boomed  out  five  o'clock,  leaving  a  half-hour  still 
to  spare  before  Jacopo  was  due.  I  pulled  up  therefore  at 
the  side  of  the  road,  and  dismounting,  led  my  horse  up  and 
down.  It  was  whilst  thus  engaged,  that  I  noticed  a  priest, 
mounted  on  a  smart  cob,  trotting  in  the  direction  of  the 
gate,  and  knowing  that  a  misfortune  and  a  friar  are  seldom 
apart,  I  observed  him  narrowly  as  he  passed.  He  drew  his 
cowl,  however,  over  his  face,  so  that  I  could  make  nothing 
of  him ;  but  on  reaching  the  gate  he  stopped  to  ask  some 
questions  of  the  sentry  there,  and  the  man,  in  raising  his 
hand  to  salute,  slightly  startled  the  horse,  which  threw  back 
its  head.  This  sudden  movement  made  the  hood  the  rider 
wore  fall  back  a  little,  but  it  was  enough  to  enable  me  to 
see  it  was  the  library  scribe,  old  Ceci's  nephew ;  and  I 
augured  no  good  from  this,  resolving  nevertheless  to  be  on 
my  guard  more  than  ever.  The  pretended  priest  received 
an  answer  to  his  inquiry,  and  giving  his  benediction,  in  true 
sacerdotal  manner,  rode  off  at  a  pace  that  showed  his  seat 
on  the  library  stool  had  not  interfered  with  his  seat  in  the 
saddle.  It  was  now  fully  the  half  hour,  and  yet  Jacopo  did 
not  come.  I  waited  until  the  gong  struck  six,  and  was  just 
about  to  ride  off,  leaving  a  message  with  the  guard,  when 
I  saw  him  approaching. 

"  Make  haste,"  I  cried  as  I  mounted,  "  you  are  late." 

"  Pardon,  excellency  !  But  the  lady  was  not  there.  I 
had  to  wait  a  full  hour  before  she  came  back  from  riding, 
and  the  General  d'Alegres  was  with  her." 

"  Did  you  give  the  packet  ?  " 

"  I  did,  excellency.  I  rode  up,  asked  who  the  Lady 
Angiola  was,  and  presented  the  packet,  saying  it  was  from 
the  Cavaliere  di  Savelli,  my  master." 

"  Oh,  glorious  fool !  Did  I  not  tell  you  my  name  was 
Donati?  Did  I  not  tell  you  to  say  nothing,  but  merely  give 
the  packet  into  the  lady's  hands  ?  " 


THE  LETTER  TO   D'AMBOISE.  127 

"  Body  o'  mc,  excellency  !  But  there  were  so  many 
about,  my  wits  almost  went  a  wool-gathering.  I  gave 
madame  the  packet,  however,  and  she  took  it." 

"  Said  anything  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  excellency — never  a  word." 

There  was  no  use  crying  over  spilt  milk,  and  cursing 
Jacopo  in  my  heart  for  a  muddle-headed  fool,  we  started  off. 
On  reaching  the  sentry,  I  thought  I  might  as  well  try  and 
find  out  what  the  sham  friar  was  looking  after.  The  man 
raised  his  hand  in  salute  as  I  came  up,  and  flinging  him  a 
crown  I  bade  him  drink  to  the  health  of  the  Signory  therewith. 

"  Marry !  I  will  with  pleasure,  and  yours,  too,  ex- 
cellency," he  said,  as  he  pocketed  the  money,  evidently 
stirred  by  the  amount. 

"  Instead  of  mine,  drink  to  the  health  of  my  good  friend 
the  monk,  who  has  just  gone  on.  Can  you  tell  me  if  he 
inquired  for  any  one  here  ?  " 

I  relied  on  the  simplicity  of  the  man,  and  on  taking 
him  by  surprise  with  the  question,  and  as  it  happened  I  hit 
my  mark. 

"  In  truth,  excellency,  the  reverend  father  did  inquire 
about  a  party  of  five  horsemen,  who  took  the  road  to  Leg- 
horn about  four  o'clock  this  afternoon.  He  doubted  much 
if  he  could  overtake  them  ere  nightfall  he  said,  and  would 
have  to  ride  hard." 

"  I  poised  another  crown  on  my  finger  absently.  "  Do 
you  know  any  of  the  party  who  went  ahead?" 

"  No,  excellency ;  but  their  leader  was  an  old  man  with  a 
long  white  beard,  and  I  think  I  heard  him  addressed  as  Ceci. 
Excellency,  the  wine  will  flow  to-night — a  hundred  thanks." 

I  dropped  the  crown  into  his  palm,  moving  him  to  his 
closing  words. 

"  Come  on,  Jacopo.  It  grows  late,"  and  setting  spurs 
to  our  horses,  we  rode  out  at  a  gallop. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    AMBUSCADE. 

It  is  good  to  go  through  the  air,  with  the  strength  of  a 
brave  horse  under  one,  to  know  that  his  strong  muscles  are 
stretching  with  an  enjoyment  as  keen  as  his  rider's  pleas- 
ure, to  hear  the  air  whistle  as  one  cuts  through  it,  and  to 
feel  the  blood  fairly  dance  in  the  veins.  After  those  weary 
weeks  of  illness,  of  inaction,  and  of  mental  despair  I  had 
passed  through,  it  was  as  if  new  life  was  poured  into  me,  to 
know  that  I  was  once  more  in  the  saddle,  with  a  prospect, 
however  faint,  of  regaining  all  I  had  lost.  As  the  land- 
scape on  each  side  of  me  melted  into  a  green  grey  streak,  it 
seemed  to  carry  away  with  it  my  suffering ;  as  the  true  horse 
answered  willingly  to  the  touch  of  my  spur,  I  forgot  the 
past,  and  was  once  again  Ugo  di  Savelli,  with  a  spirit  as 
high  as  the  days  before  the  black  sorrow  fell  upon  me.  To 
the  left  of  the  road  was  a  broad  stretch  of  springy  turf, 
crossed  by  a  fairly  wide  water  channel.  I  could  not  resist 
giving  the  beast  a  burst  over  this,  and  followed  by  Jacopo, 
galloped  over  it  with  a  free  rein.  Both  the  horses  took  the 
jump  like  bucks,  and  carried  away  by  the  moment,  we  held 
on,  until  we  reached  the  stony  and  boulder-covered  incline 
which  led  to  the  valley  of  the  Greve.  Here  the  turf  came 
to  a  sudden  end,  in  a  line  such  as  the  edge  of  a  calm  sea 
makes  in  a  bay,  and  then  began  a  steep  descent  of  gravel, 
and  loose  stones,  whose  many  colours  of  grey,  ochre,  and 

128 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  129 

brown,  were  splashed  here  and  there,  by  masses  of  short 
thick  shrubs,  which  gradually  increased  in  denseness,  until 
they  spread  before  us,  a  sea  of  sombre  green,  that  stretched 
to  the  clear  blue  line  of  the  Greve.  Here  on  the  crest  of 
the  slope  I  drew  bridle,  thinking  the  horses  had  enough  of 
it  for  the  present,  and  that  it  would  be  well  to  husband 
their  strength.  Jacopo  pulled  up  alongside  of  me,  and 
stooping  to  pat  the  neck  of  his  mount  said — 

"  Excellency,  the  horses  are  in  good  condition ;  they  will 
carry  us  well  to  Leghorn ! "  He  spoke  the  truth,  for  al- 
though they  might  have  been  in  better  training,  as  the  few 
clots  of  yellowy  white  foam,  on  the  part  of  the  reins  which 
had  touched  their  necks  showed,  still  we  should  have  been 
content  with  less,  from  new  and  practically  untried  pur- 
chases, such  as  we  had  made,  and  I  congratulated  myself 
mentally  on  our  luck,  for  Barabbas  himself  would  have  had 
much  to  learn  from  the  horse-dealers  of  Tuscany.  Think- 
ing in  this  way,  I  replied  : 

"  Yes,  Jacopo,  they  seem  to  be  a  cheap  forty  crowns* 
worth,  and  we  have  been  cheated  as  little  as  possible.  As 
you  say,  they  should  carry  us  well  on  our  journey,  and  we 
can  either  dispose  of  them  at  Leghorn,  or  take  them  on  to 
Home  if  necessary." 

"  If  I  may  speak,  excellency,  I  would  advise  taking  them 
with  us.     But  oh,  signore,  is  that  not  superb  ?  " 

With  an  Italian's  inborn  love  for  the  beautiful,  he 
pointed  to  the  view  around  us,  and  although  not  a  Floren- 
tine, I  could  feel  why  it  was  that  her  citizens  so  loved  the 
City  of  the  Lily.  The  sun  was  setting  in  opal  and  rose, 
and  as  we  turned  to  give  a  last  look  behind,  we  saw  that 
this  light  was  reflected  from  the  west,  on  the  great  fleecy 
masses  of  clouds  that  were  slumbering  in  the  pure  blue  of 
the  sky,  and  was  again  thrown  back,  or  rather  downwards, 
on  to  Florence  itself,  bathing  in  its  glow  the  campaniles  of 


130  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

the  churches,  the  grim  palace  of  the  Signory,  and  the  towers 
of  the  houses  of  the  nobles.  Where  the  light  did  not  fall, 
the  shadows  were  in  soft  greys,  that  deepened  to  a  purple 
black,  and  a  yellow  band  marked  where  the  walls  clasped 
the  city  like  a  girdle.  To  the  east,  as  we  looked,  the  hills 
of  the  Prato  Magno  rose  in  a  heavy  solid  outline,  with  the 
jagged  peaks,  trying  as  it  were  to  stab  at  the  sky ;  to  the 
north,  covered  with  a  heavy  pine  forest,  lay  Senario,  shut- 
ting from  sight  the  upper  Voldarno,  and  the  Mugello ; 
whilst,  as  we  faced  slowly  round  by  our  left,  we  saw  the 
silver  ribbon  of  the  Arno,  and  the  heights  of  Monte  Orlan- 
do, the  landscape  being  closed  in  on  the  west  by  San  Mini- 
ato,  over  whose  cypress  crowned  heights  the  sun  now  hung 
like  a  soft  ball  of  fire.  As  I  gazed  upon  this,  a  sadness 
came  upon  me,  and  my  mind  filled  again  with  the  image  of 
the  woman,  whom  I  began  to  realise  that  I  loved  in  spite  of 
all;  and  I  almost  laughed  in  the  bitterness  of  my  heart, 
when  I  thought  that  this  burden  of  a  hopeless  passion  was 
added  to  the  weight  I  already  had  to  bear.  I  began  to 
fairly  despise  myself  for  my  weakness,  in  that  for  the  mo- 
ment I  felt  inclined  to  turn  my  horse's  head  and  ride  back 
to  Florence.  It  was  gall  to  know,  that  if  she  but  lifted  her 
finger,  I  would  go  back  like  a  beaten  dog,  and  it  required 
me  to  summon  all  my  pride  to  rescue  myself  at  the  time. 
It  was  such  hopeless  folly,  such  madness,  that  I  began  to 
think  I  must  be  little  short  of  an  idiot,  and  cursed  myself 
with  such  hearty  good  will,  that  Jacopo,  who  was  always  a 
trifle  free  with  his  tongue,  began  to  let  it  wag. 

"  If  your  excellency  is  so  liberal  with  curses  on  yourself, 
methinks  you  will  have  none  to  spare  for  your  enemies,"  he 
said. 

"  True,  Jacopo,"  I  answered,  "  but  the  word  enemies  re- 
minds me,  that  you  should  keep  your  arquebus  ready  for 
instant  use,  and  now  I  think  we  had  better  jog  on." 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  131 

Jacopo's  answer  was  to  unsling  his  arquebus,  which  he 
rested  crosswise  on  his  thigh,  and  we  began  to  slowly  de- 
scend the  slope  towards  the  river,  the  loose  gravel  crunching 
under  our  horses'  feet. 

"  It  is  loaded,"  said  Jacopo,  somewhat  irrelevantly,  as 
we  came  to  the  banks  of  the  stream ;  but  I  understood  he 
was  speaking  of  his  piece.  "  It  is  loaded,  excellency,"  he 
repeated,  "  with  three  balls,  which  I  have  had  dipped  in 
holy  water,  and  on  each  of  which  I  have  cut  a  cross  for  luck. 
I  lay  my  life  on  it,  that  if  discharged,  it  will  bring  down 
whatever  it  is  aimed  at — saint  or  sinner." 

"  Heaven  grant  that  it  may  be  the  sinner,  Jacopo ;  but 
only  take  care  you  are  ready  to  discharge  it  when  the  time 
comes." 

"  Never  fear,  signore.  Jacopo  Jacopi  is  too  old  a  soldier 
to  be  caught  napping,"  with  these  words  we  plunged  into 
the  Greve,  and  after  much  careful  stepping  on  the  part  of 
the  horses,  for  the  animals  found  their  foothold  an  uncertain 
one  in  the  smooth  round  stones  under  the  water,  we  reached 
the  opposite  bank,  and  trotted  on  with  the  horses'  noses  in 
a  line  towards  San  Miniato.  The  sun  had  now  sunk  behind 
the  hill,  which  was  so  full  of  memories  for  me,  and  although 
there  would  be  a  moon  later  on,  we  had  for  the  present  to 
face  a  rapidly  increasing  darkness. 

"  By  keeping  at  this  pace,  excellency,"  said  Jacopo  as 
we  trotted  on,  "we  shall  reach  the  Resa  shortly  before  it 
gets  quite  dark,  and  I  submit  that  we  stop  there  to  feed  the 
horses.  As  your  honour  commanded,  I  have  brought  a 
meal  for  them,  and  there  was  space  enough  in  the  sack  for 
a  snack  for  me,  which  would  do  at  a  pinch  for  two,  if  your 
excellency  would  but  condescend  to  taste  of  it." 

"  You  say  well,  Jacopo ;  but  I  also  am  an  old  soldier, 
and  my  saddle-bags  are  full.  A  fasting  body  makes  but  a 
faint  heart,  whether  for  man  or  beast — on  the  other  bank  of 


132  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

the  Kesa  then,  we  shall  call  a  halt.     There  is  a  little  light 
still,  enough  to  increase  the  pace — so  onwards  ! " 

We  broke  into  a  hand  gallop,  keeping  one  behind  the 
other,  and  following  the  windings  of  a  cattle  track,  for  I 
had  purposely  avoided  the  road  after  receiving  the  informa- 
tion I  had  extracted  from  the  sentry  at  the  San  Frediano 
Gate.  It  was  evident,  that  the  party  of  men,  followed  by 
Ceci's  nephew,  had  left  Florence  to  carry  out  some  desper- 
ate design.  I  had  been  dogged  all  day  by  this  man,  and 
now  he  had  galloped  off  in  disguise  to  join  the  men  who 
had  left  Florence  before  he  had,  and  amongst  whom  was  his 
uncle.  Ceci's  words  at  our  last  interview,  and  the  persist- 
ent manner  in  which  I  was  followed,  left  me  no  room  to 
doubt  that  I  was  the  object  of  their  attention,  and  that  it 
would  be  necessary  to  keep  well  on  the  alert.  I  did  not  ap- 
prehend danger  at  once,  but  thought  that  if  an  attack  were 
made,  it  would  be  in  the  narrow  valley  between  the  low  hills 
to  the  north  of  Montespertoli,  or  at  Ponte  a  Elsa,  each  of 
which  places  was  particularly  suited  for  an  ambuscade,  al- 
though of  course,  considering  their  numbers,  the  attempt 
might  be  made  anywhere,  and  openly,  without  very  much 
danger.  So  with  another  hurried  word  of  warning  to  Ja- 
copo,  and  holding  my  sword  ready,  I  galloped  along,  increas- 
ing the  pace  as  much  as  possible,  whenever  we  went  past  a 
clump  of  trees,  and  both  of  us  keeping  as  sharp  a  look-out 
as  the  light,  or  rather  darkness,  permitted.  We  avoided 
the  regular  ford  of  the  Eesa  on  the  Montespertoli  road, 
crossing  higher  up  in  the  direction  of  Montelupo,  and  here 
got  a  good  wetting,  for  the  water  was  deeper  than  we  antici- 
pated. Had  Ceci  and  his  friends  only  lain  in  wait  for  us 
at  this  point,  we  should  have  had  no  chance.  As  it  hap- 
pened, however,  we  had  taken  a  zig-zag  route,  which  had 
either  thrown  them  off  the  track  entirely,  or  we  would 
meet  them  further   on,  either   at   one   of   the    two   spots 


TIIE  AMBUSCADE.  133 

mentioned  by  me,  or  in  some  other  equally  convenient 
locality.  At  any  rate,  we  were  safe  for  the  present,  and 
that  was  something  to  be  thankful  for,  even  if  we  were 
in  darkness.  So  my  thoughts  ran  on,  as  we  scrambled 
somehow  to  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Besa,  and  groped 
our  way  up  until  we  felt  soft  grass  under  our  feet,  for  we 
had  dismounted  on  fording  the  stream,  and  led  our  horses 
by  their  bridles  up  the  steep  left  bank.  Here  we  called  a 
halt,  determined  to  await  the  moon,  and  Jacopo  managed 
somehow  to  tether  the  horses ;  fastening  the  halters  to  the 
stump  of  a  tree  he  discovered  by  stumbling  against,  and  on 
which  he  wasted  some  of  those  curses  he  was  so  anxious  for 
me  to  reserve  for  my  enemies.  After  giving  the  horses 
their  feed,  which  they  nosed  out  readily  enough,  despite  the 
darkness,  he  joined  me  where  I  s;it  on  the  grass  trying  to 
dry,  and  wrapping  up  the  lock  of  his  arquebus  in  a  wool- 
len cap,  which  he  produced,  to  keep  it  from  damp,  he  took 
his  seat  beside  me  at  my  invitation. 

"  It  is  too  dark  to  eat  now,  excellency,"  he  said.  "  I  for 
one,  like  a  light  of  some  kind,  even  if  it  be  my  Lady  Moon, 
with  my  meals,  and  we  have  some  little  time  to  wait — ill- 
luck  to  it !  Do  you  call  to  mind,  signore,  it  was  just  such 
a  night  as  this  when  we  lay  outside  the  breach  at  Arx  Sis- 
mundea,  waiting  for  the  signal  rockets?" 

"  I  do,  Jacopo." 

"Ah,  that  was  a  fight!  We  have  had  nothing  like  it 
since  then — not  even  Fornovo — but  good  times  are  coming, 
excellency,  and  maybe  wo  will  see  them  again." 

"  How  comes  it,  Jacopo,  that  with  this  prospect  before 
you,  you  left  the  army?  " 

"  There  was  trouble,  excellency,  big  trouble  at  Siena, 
and  I  left  to  avoid  the  attentions  of  Messer  Braccio  Forte- 
braccio,  whom  your  worship  doubtless  remembers." 

I  could  get  no  further  explanation  from  Jacopo,  but  af- 


134:  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

terwards  found  out  that  he  had  fought  with  and  grievously 
wounded  a  man  who  had  spoken  disparagingly  of  me; 
and  fearing  lest  the  swift  discipline  which  D'Alegres  main- 
tained might  overtake  him,  had  immediately  deserted, 
making  his  way  to  Florence,  where  a  lucky  chance  threw 
him  in  my  way.  I  thought  it  well,  at  this  time,  to  ex- 
plain to  Jacopo,  the  danger  I  feared  of  an  ambuscade,  and 
he,  knowing  the  road  as  well  as  I  did,  agreed  with  me  in 
regard  to  the  spots  most  likely  to  be  chosen  for  the  at- 
tack. 

"  Would  it  not  be  prudent,  excellency,  to  await  day- 
light, and,  keeping  out  of  the  beaten  track,  avoid  these 
gentlemen  ?  " 

"  You  see,  Jacopo,"  I  answered,  "  we  have  not  time  for 
all  this,  and  must  take  some  risk.  I  mean,  therefore,  to  go 
as  far  as  we  can  to-night." 

"As  your  worship  desires.  It  is  not  that  I  fear  the 
danger,  but  I  do  not  like  putting  my  head  in  a  bag.  Buono  ! 
There  is  the  moon,  and  I  already  begin  to  taste  my  supper, 
after  which,  excellency,  I  have  no  care  which  way  we  travel, 
either  by  broad  daylight,  or  through  the  teeth  of  these 
brigands." 

As  he  spoke  the  stars  began  to  pale,  and  the  moon  rose 
slowly  above  the  horizon.  In  a  few  minutes,  so  bright  and 
clear  was  the  light,  that  one  may  have  easily  read  by  it,  and 
I  was  glad  to  see,  moreover,  that  the  shifting  clouds  were 
gone,  and  there  was  every  prospect  of  a  fine  night.  It  was 
fall-to,  now,  to  our  supper,  and  adding  my  store  to  my  faith- 
ful follower's  supply,  I  sunk  distinctions  of  rank,  and  we 
enjoyed  a  meal,  with  a  hearty  contentment  that  had  been  a 
stranger  to  me  for  many  a  day.  When  the  last  drop  of  wine 
in  the  bottle  was  finished,  and  we  had  picked  our  last  bone, 
Jacopo  arose  with  a  sigh. 

"  Before  supper,  excellency,  I  was  ready  to  eat  and  then 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  135 

fight  my  way  through  an  army ;  now  beshrew  me,  if  a  sound 
nap  of  an  hour  or  so  is  not  much  to  my  taste !  " 

I  could  not  forbear  smiling,  but  did  not  rise  to  the  hint, 
and  when  our  horses  were  saddled  again,  and  every  buckle 
and  strap  examined  with  the  minutest  care,  we  mounted 
and  set  off.  As  although  we  both  well  knew  the  direct  road 
to  Leghorn,  but  were  not  acquainted  with  the  district  so  as 
to  correctly  pursue  our  way  by  moonlight,  I  decided  to  run 
the  gauntlet  of  the  ambuscade,  if  there  was  any,  and  take 
the  risk  of  coming  off  with  a  whole  skin,  to  the  certainty  of 
losing  our  track  by  chancing  short  cuts,  which  might  lead 
to,  Heaven  alone  knew  where !  Now  that  we  were  once 
more  on  the  road,  we  trotted  along  at  a  fairish  pace  through 
the  silent  night.  The  way  led  for  some  distance  over  an 
uneven  plain,  covered  with  a  multitude  of  white  stones, 
that  shone  in  the  moonlight  like  water.  The  plain  gradu- 
ally narrowed  to  where  it  was  intersected  by  a  chain  of  low 
hills,  and  it  was  in  crossing  these  that  we  should  have  to 
ride  through  a  narrow  gut,  and  possibly  meet  our  danger. 
As  we  approached  the  hills,  the  short,  stunted  foliage  that 
tufted  the  plain,  changed  to  a  half -grown  forest,  in  the 
midst  of  which  the  road  wound,  and  here  we  halted  for  a 
second,  whilst  Jacopo  examined  his  piece  to  see  that  all  was 
aright,  and  gingerly  blew  at  the  match  thereon,  to  give  the 
fire  a  little  strength.  This  being  clone,  we  proceeded  with 
the  greatest  caution,  riding  one  behind  the  other,  and  going 
slowly,  as  we  feared  a  pitfall  of  some  kind  among  the  trees. 
Luckily  there  was  none,  and  at  last  we  got  out  of  the  im- 
mediate presence  of  the  forest,  and  into  the  gut,  where  the 
precipice  rose  high  on  each  side  of  us.  All  was  rock  and 
stone,  but  the  road  was  fairly  even,  a  trap  could  have  been 
seen,  and  going  slow  a  mistake  here,  so  we  clapped  spurs  to 
the  horses,  and  sent  them  along,  and  although  momentarily 
expecting  to  see  the  Hash  of  an  arquebus,  we  were  agreeably 


136  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

disappointed,  and  got  out  of  the  passage  without  mishap  of 
any  kind. 

"Animo!    Signore,  we  are  out  of  this,  and  to-night  will 

lot  be  bread  for  the  teeth  of  these  brigands ; "  and  Jacopo, 

whose  horse  had  carried  him  a  little  in  advance,  drew  rein 

to  let   me   come  up,   as   we   rode   out  of  the  tail  of  the 

pass. 

"  I  hope  so,  but  we  are  not  out  of  the  wood  yet,"  and  I 
pointed  to  where  a  dip  in  the  ground  showed  there  was  a 
small  stream,  and  on  the  opposite  bank  the  road  again  led 
into  forest  land. 

"  And  I  was  just  going  to  beg  your  worship's  leave  to 
troll  a  catch,"  said  Jacopo ;  and  as  he  uttered  these  words 
we  plashed  into  the  shallow  stream  before  us.  Almost  at 
this  moment  my  horse  neighed  shrilly,  and  an  answering 
neigh  from  the  wood  before  us  rang  out  into  the  night. 

Orach!  Orach!  Two  red  tongues  of  fire  licked  out 
from  the  darkness  of  the  trees,  we  heard  the  loud  report  of 
firearms,  and  a  brace  of  balls  sang  past,  unpleasantly  close 
to  my  head. 

"  Quick,  Jacopo — follow  me,"  and  driving  my  spurs 
home,  the  good  horse  plunged  forwards,  topping  the  bank 
almost  on  the  instant  that  the  ambuscaders,  who  rushed  out 
with  a  shout,  reached  it.  The  man  to  my  left,  who  was 
riding  a  white  horse,  pulled  up  in  an  unaccountable  man- 
ner, and  making  a  point  at  the  one  on  my  sword  side,  I  ran 
him  through  the  throat,  my  blade  twisting  him  clean  round 
in  the  saddle  as  I  dashed  on.  The  attacking  party,  coming 
at  a  great  pace,  were  carried  by  their  horses  down  the  slope 
into  the  stream,  and  before  they  could  turn  I  had  gained  a 
fair  start,  and  to  my  joy  heard  Jacopo  swearing  as  he  gal- 
loped behind  me. 

"Maldetto !     I  could  not  fire,  signore — you  were  right 
in  front  of  me— but  here  goes."     He  turned  back  in  his 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  137 

saddle,  and  would  have  let  off  his  piece  had  I  not  shouted 
out : — 

"  Hold  !  hold  !  till  I  tell  you,"  and  fortunately  he  heard 
my  words,  or  the  chances  were  there  would  have  been  a  miss 
with  no  opportunity  of  reloading. 

We  gained  a  full  hundred  yards  before  the  others  recov- 
ered themselves,  coming  after  us  with  yells  of  anger,  and  I 
distinctly  heard  Ceci's  voice — 

"  Two  hundred  crowns  for  them,  dead  or  alive  !  " 

Now  commenced  a  race  for  life.  We  had  the  start  and 
meant  to  keep  it ;  but  their  horses  were  the  fresher,  and  it 
became  a  mere  question  of  who  could  last  longest.  We 
made  the  pace  as  hot  as  we  could,  in  the  hope  that  if  we 
came  to  close  quarters  again  some  of  our  pursuers  would 
have  tailed  behind.  For  a  little  time  things  went  well, 
and  I  was  beginning  to  think  we  should  be  able  to  show  our 
friends  a  clean  pair  of  heels,  when  I  suddenly  felt  my  horse 
purring,  stretching  his  neck  forward  and  holding  on  to  the 
bit,  in  a  manner  which  left  no  doubt  to  my  mind  that  he 
was  done.     Jacopo,  too,  called  out — 

"  We  had  better  fight  it  out,  excellency ;  my  horse  is 
blown." 

Before  giving  a  final  answer,  I  slung  round  in  the  saddle 
to  see  how  the  enemy  were  getting  on.  The  only  two  who 
were  at  our  heels  was  the  man  mounted  on  the  white  horse, 
who  had  pulled  aside  in  so  strange  a  manner  when  charging 
me,  and  another,  whom  I  could  not  make  out.  The  rest 
were  well  behind,  but  riding  hard.  We  could  probably 
account  for  these  two,  and  turning  back  1  shouted  to 
Jacopo — 

"All  right;  fight  it  out." 

As  I  said  this  my  horse  stumbled  and  rolled  clean  over, 

killing  himself  on  the  spot,  but  fortunately  throwing  me 

clear  of  him  and  without  doing  any  damage  to  me.     I  had' 
10 


138  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

just  time  to  scramble  to  my  feet,  when  the  two  foremost  of 
our  pursuers  were  upon  us. 

Jacopo  had  been  carried  some  yards  on  by  the  speed  of 
his  mount,  but  as  the  men  came  up  he  turned  sharp  round 
in  his  saddle  and  fired.  The  report  was  followed  by  a  yell 
of  pain,  and  the  leading  horseman  fell ;  the  other,  who  be- 
strode the  white  horse,  again  sheering  off  from  me.  Here 
he  met  with  Jacopo,  who  was  coming  back  at  a  gallop,  and, 
it  seemed  to  me,  fairly  flung  himself  from  his  horse,  doing 
this  in  so  clumsy  a  manner  as  to  be  immediately  ridden  over 
by  my  knave. 

"  Mount — mount,  excellency — mount  behind  me  ! "  and 
Jacopo  steadied  his  horse.  But  there  was  no  time,  and 
three  of  the  remaining  horsemen  dashed  up.  Two  of  the 
horses  shied  past  the  body  of  my  animal,  but  the  third  came 
boldly  up,  and  the  rider  immediately  engaged  Jacopo.  I 
could  not  give  my  brave  fellow  any  aid,  for  my  time  was 
fully  occupied  in  dealing  with  my  own  adversaries.  Their 
horses  were  too  fresh,  or  not  well  in  hand,  by  great  good 
luck,  and  so  they  could  not  manage  to  come  at  me  together. 
Seeing  this,  I  made  a  dash  across  the  road  into  the  wood — 
it  was  but  a  few  feet — and  both  my  adversaries  followed, 
with  the  result  that  the  horse  of  one  of  them  put  his  foot  in 
a  rut,  and  stumbling  forwards  unseated  his  rider,  and  the 
other,  in  aiming  a  cut  at  me,  got  his  sword  entangled  for  a 
second  in  an  overhanging  bough.  This  second  was,  how- 
ever, enough  for  me  to  give  him  six  inches  of  cold  steel,  and 
he  pulled  round  and  rode  off,  dropping  his  sword,  and  swing- 
ing from  side  to  side  in  his  saddle  like  a  drunken  man.  The 
man  who  had  fallen  from  his  horse  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
Indeed  I  did  not  look  for  him,  but  rushed  back  to  the  assist- 
ance of  Jacopo,  and  this  time,  having  opportunity  for  ob- 
serving, if  only  for  a  twinkling,  saw  his  opponent  was  my 
friend,  the  sham  monk.     He,  however,  had  as  quick  an 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  139 

eye,  and  taking  in  the  situation,  made  a  sudden  charge  at 
Jacopo,  and  as  suddenly  wheeling  his  horse  to  the  left,  shot 
past  him  and  fled  on  ahead,  leaving  us  masters  of  the 
situation. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  excellency  ?  "  called  out  Jacopo. 

"  Not  in  the  least.     How  are  you  ?  " 

"  Nothing  but  a  scratch,  excellency,  which  I  received 
from  his  reverence,  who,  for  all  his  monkish  cowl,  wields  a 
good  weapon." 

"  Well,  jump  down  and  let  us  see  who  our  friends  are, 
but  first  let  me  look  to  your  wound." 

"  It  is  really  nothing  as  I  said,  signore,"  and  Jacopo 
sprang  lightly  to  earth.  I  did  not,  however,  listen  to  him, 
and  taking  from  him  his  flint  and  steel,  lighted  a  piece  of  dry 
wood,  which  I  converted  into  a  torch.  With  the  aid  of  this 
and  the  moonlight,  I  examined  Jacopo's  wound,  which  after 
all  was  but  slight,  and  had  just  bandaged  it  up  with  my 
kerchief,  when  I  became  aware  that  the  man  whom  Jacopo 
had  ridden  over,  had  arisen  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and 
was  crawling  off  into  the  brushwood. 

"  Steady,  friend,"  I  said,  and  running  up  to  him,  gave 
him  a  prick  with  my  sword  as  a  hint  to  stop.  He  made  a 
little  outcry,  but  had  the  good  sense  to  take  the  hint,  and 
casting  the  light  of  the  torch  on  his  face,  I  recognised  my 
old  acquaintance  the  ancient  Brico. 

"  So,  signore,"  I  said,  "  I  have  again  to  be  thankful  to 
you." 

Jacopo  too  came  up  and  recognised  the  man  at  a  glance. 

"  Cappita  !  "  he  burst  out,  "  but  it  is  the  ancient  Brico  ! 
Shall  I  beat  his  brains  out,  excellency  ?  " 

"  Mercy,  most  noble  cavalier,"  exclaimed  Brico,  "  I  yield 
me  to  ransom." 

"  Ransom  forsooth  !  "  called  out  Jacopo,  "  such  ransom 
as  a  noose  will  give  you.     Prepare  to  die." 


140         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  Be  quiet,  Jacopo,"  I  said,  "  the  aucieut  has  yielded  to 
ransom,  we  will  leave  him  to  discuss  the  terms  with  the 
moon.  Fetch  me  the  bridle  from  my  poor  horse  yonder, 
and  bind  this  knave  firmly." 

Jacopo  needed  no  second  bidding,  and  in  five  minutes 
the  ancient,  securely  bound,  was  sitting  like  a  trussed  fowl 
in  the  middle  of  the  road,  alternately  cursing  and  weeping. 

"  Perhaps,  excellency,  we  had  better  look  at  the  other," 
and  Jacopo  pointed  to  the  man  whom  he  had  shot,  who  lay 
on  his  face.  "  Perchance,"  he  added,  "  he  too  might  turn 
out  an  old  acquaintance." 

We  did  so,  and  as  we  bent  over  him  I  saw  it  was  Bernabo 
Ceci  gone  to  his  last  account.  He  was  shot  through  the 
heart,  and  lay  quite  dead,  with  a  frown  on  his  forehead, 
and  his  teeth  clenched  in  the  death  agony.  I  looked  at 
him  in  a  sad  silence  which  Jacopo  broke. 

"  I  never  knew  a  cross-marked  bullet  to  fail,  excellency. 
He  is  stone  dead." 

"  May  he  rest  in  peace,"  I  answered ;  "  he  was  a  brave 
man,  although  my  enemy." 

"  He  is  still  enough  now,  your  worship — and  see  !  There 
is  his  horse  grazing  quietly.  It  will  do  excellently  to  re- 
place the  lost  one." 

He  ran  forward  and  secured  the  animal,  whilst  I  had  a 
final  look  at  my  dead  beast.  His  neck  was  broken,  and 
there  was  an  end  of  him.  Whilst  Jacopo  at  my  request  was 
changing  the  saddles,  I  stirred  up  the  ancient,  who  had 
lapsed  into  silence,  and  begged  the  favour  of  his  informing 
me  to  whom  I  was  indebted  for  the  excitement  of  the  night. 
Brico  at  first  would  not  answer,  but  an  inch  of  steel  re- 
moved his  sulkiness,  and  he  told  me  all  that  I  believe  he  knew, 
which  was  to  the  effect  that  he  and  some  others  had  been 
hired  by  a  great  Florentine  called  Strozzi,  to  stop  me  at  all 
hazards  on  my  journey  to  Kome,  and  that  the  party  was 


THE  AMBUSCADE.  141 

commanded  by  Ceci,  who  was  to  pay  them  two  hundred 
crowns  for  their  trouble.  More  he  evidently  did  not  know, 
and  disregarding  all  his  entreaties  to  loosen  him,  we  rode 
off,  wishing  him  a  good  night.  Nevertheless  I  am  afraid 
he  suffered  considerable  discomfort. 

"  That  rascal  monk,"  said  Jacopo  as  we  jogged  along, 
"has  gone  on  ahead  of  us,  and  to-morrow,  perhaps,  will 
rouse  the  country  in  advance  of  us." 

"  Never  fear,  Jacopo,"  I  answered,  "  he  is  no  monk,  as  I 
well  know,  and  his  only  chance  was  to  escape  as  he  did. 
He  will  hark  back  soon  enough  to  Florence.  Such  hawks 
as  he  do  not  fly  far  from  their  eyries." 

And  in  this  I  proved  to  be  right,  and  the  library  scribe 
was  never  seen  by  me  again. 

So  we  kept  to  our  way,  deciding  to  rest  by  day  on 
the  banks  of  the  Evola,  to  which  we  came  in  the  early 
morning.  Here  we  concealed  our  horses  in  the  forest  which 
fringed  the  banks,  and  the  tireless  Jacopo,  leaving  me  to 
watch  the  cattle,  proceeded  on  foot  to  a  small  hamlet  he 
knew  of,  returning  in  about  an  hour  with  the  materials  for 
a  substantial  meal,  and  a  small  skin  of  wine.  In  order  not 
to  be  taken  by  surprise  by  the  neighing  of  our  horses,  which 
would  assuredly  discover  us  if  other  riders  passed,  we 
hobbled  them  in  a  secure  place,  and  sought  a  safe  retreat 
for  ourselves,  almost  half  way  up  the  low  hill  which  bounded 
the  river  at  the  point  where  we  halted.  Here  we  spent  a 
restful  day,  the  only  incident  being  the  passing  of  a  fine 
body  of  men-at-arms  across  the  Evola.  From  the  double- 
headed  lion  on  their  standard  I  perceived  they  were  part  of 
the  co)ulolh(  of  Colleoni,  a  devoted  adherent  of  the  Borgia, 
and  it  was  fortunate  that  we  did  not  meet  them  or  it  would 
have  gone  hard  with  us,  for  I  was  known  personally  to 
Colleoni  and  most  of  his  officers,  the  free-lance  having 
changed  sides  after  Fornovo,  ostensibly  because  he  said  it 


142  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

was  against  his  conscience  to  war  with  the  Pope ;  but  in 
reality  being  bribed  by  an  immediate  present  of  a  fief  in 
the  Campagua,  and  the  promise  of  the  lordship  of  Bergamo, 
which,  although  his  son  obtained  it,  he  himself  never  en- 
joyed. So  much  for  the  two-headed  lion  which  crossed 
our  path  as  we  lay  hidden  in  the  shade  of  the  trees.  Our 
horses  also  being  actively  employed  in  cropping  the  rich 
turf  in  the  hollow  where  they  were  tethered,  behaved  them- 
selves excellently,  with  the  result  that  the  long  line  of  men- 
at-arms  passed  on  and  out  of  sight,  without  doing  us  any 
harm. 

In  this  manner  we  continued  our  journey,  halting  by  day 
and  travelling  by  night,  and  finally  reached  Leghorn  in 
safety.  Here  we  took  passage  in  a  ship  bound  for  Eome ; 
but  were  compelled  to  wait  two  days  in  Leghorn,  as  the 
master  was  not  ready  to  sail  at  once.  At  last,  all  things  be- 
ing arranged,  we  got  our  horses  and  ourselves  aboard,  and 
put  out  to  sea  with  a  fair  wind.  The  master  of  the  ship  had 
sailed  with  Messer  Columbus  to  the  New  World,  and  lost  no 
time  in  giving  us  the  history  of  his  adventures,  which  were 
in  truth  marvellous  beyond  imagination.  I  listened  with  a 
smooth  face,  and  the  good  man  no  doubt  thought  that  I  be- 
lieved his  stories.  In  this,  however,  he  was  mistaken,  nev- 
ertheless they  were  diverting  in  the  extreme.  Jacopo  was 
overcome  by  the  sickness  of  the  sea,  and  flung  himself  down 
in  a  corner  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  from  which  spot  noth- 
ing would  induce  him  to  move.  At  every  lurch  he  threw 
out  a  prayer  which  ended  in  a  groan,  and  so  great  was  his 
distress,  that  as  he  afterwards  stated,  he  would  have  sold  his 
soul  to  Satan  for  a  paul,  if  only  to  obtain  an  hour's  relief. 
As  for  me,  I  was  well,  having  had  some  experience  of  the 
ocean  before,  when  employed  by  the  Most  Serene  Eepublic 
for  service  against  the  Turk,  and  found  contentment  in  the 
master's  stories,  and  in  pacing  up  and  down  watching  such 


TITE  AMBUSCADE.  143 

things  as  came  under  my  view.  I  had  plenty  of  opportunity 
for  reflection  on  the  voyage,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
on  delivering  my  letter  to  the  Cardinal  at  Home,  I  would 
seek  out  Bayard  if  he  were  there,  lay  my  story  before  him, 
and  beseech  his  help  to  enable  me  to  recover  myself. 

At  last,  one  fine  day,  we  reached  Ostia,  and  there  disem- 
barked after  bidding  farewell  to  the  master,  and  set  out  on 
our  way  to  Eome.  Jacopo  recovered  his  spirits  as  his  foot 
touched  land,  and  though  the  ruddiness  of  his  cheek  had 
paled  a  little,  he  was  quite  himself  again  by  the  time  we 
crossed  the  Stagno  di  Ostia.  Finally  we  came  in  full  view 
of  the  Eternal  City,  and  towards  the  afternoon,  having 
pressed  along  at  a  good  pace,  our  jaded  horses  brought  us 
before  the  Gate  of  St.  Paul. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOME. 

As  we  rode  up  to  the  ruinous  stretch  of  the  battered 
wall,  and  saw  before  us  the  gate,  lying  open  against  the 
mottled  green  and  grey  high-ground  of  the  Aventine,  that 
old  hill,  covered  with  straggling  and  unkempt  vineyards, 
and  studded  with  the  walls  of  monasteries,  I  was  moved 
more  than  I  can  tell,  for  I  was  about  to  realise  a  dream  of 
my  life,  and  put  foot  once  again  in  the  place  of  my  birth,  a 
spot  not  only  bound  to  me  by  that  tie,  but  sacred  with  the 
hundred  legends  of  my  forefathers'  history,  men  who  had 
for  centuries  played  so  great  a  part  in  its  fate,  until  our 
house  was  cast  forth  by  the  mother-city,  to  wander  as  exiles 
over  the  land.  It  is  true  that  since  the  days  of  my  child- 
hood I  had  not  seen  Rome,  it  is  true  that  such  memories  of 
it  as  I  had  were  dim  and  misty,  and  that  to  recall  them  was 
like  trying  to  bring  back  before  one's  eyes,  when  awake,  the 
vague  but  pleasant  visions  of  a  delightful  dream  ;  neverthe- 
less my  heart  filled  with  a  strange  joy,  and  my  pulse  began 
to  beat  more  rapidly,  as  each  stride  of  my  horse  brought  me 
nearer  home.  In  short,  I  was  a  Roman  come  back  to  Rome, 
and  in  these  words  sum  up  my  feelings. 

Filled  with  such  thoughts,  I  tightened  the  reins  half 
unconsciously,  and  my  horse,  doubtless  upset  by  his  voyage, 
and  the  hard  going  from  Ostia,  very  willingly  slackened  his 
pace  to  a  walk.  Jacopo,  as  in  duty  bound,  followed  my 
example,  and  immediately  began  to  buzz  into  speech. 

144 


ROME.  145 

"  It  is  nearly  six  years  since  I  last  saw  that  gate,  excel- 
lency, when  with  Count  Carlo  Orsini  we  rode  up,  just  as  it 
was  closed  behind  Cesare  Borgia." 

"  That  was  when  you  left  me  for  a  time,  on  my  taking 
service  with  Venice." 

"  True,  your  worship ;  I  had  no  mind  for  the  galleys," 
and  Jacopo  shuddered  at  the  recollection  of  his  recent  voy- 
age. "  My  courage,"  he  continued,  "  is  firm  enough  on  firm 
ground,  but  when  the  sea  plays  cup  and  ball  with  me,  I 
have  no  soul  to  think  of  my  own  salvation,  let  alone  fight- 
ing. Ohime!  But  on  that  villainous  craft  we  have  left, 
there  were  times  when  I  was  only  too  anxious  not  to  live." 

I  smiled  as  I  inquired,  "  And  after  your  service  with  the 
Orsini  where  did  you  go  ?  " 

"  Well,  your  worship,  no  sooner  did  Count  Carlo  drive 
those  scorpions  of  the  Colonna  and  Borgia  back  to  Rome, 
than  the  Most  Serene  Republic  must  needs  step  in  and 
cause  peace  to  be  made.  This  threw  me  and  sundry  other 
honest  fellows  out  of  employment,  and  on  to  the  edge  of 
starvation,  so  we  boldly  rode  into  Rome,  and  changing  from 
the  bear  to  the  bull,  tendered  our  services  to  the  Borgia,  and 
they  were  snapped  up  I  can  tell  you.  I  was  lucky  enough 
to  find  a  master  in  the  Duke  of  Gaudia." 

"  Lucky,  you  call  it." 

"  Ay,  your  worship !  for  Giovanni  Borgia  had  an  open 
purse  and  a  free  hand.  I  was  with  him  until  he  was  mur- 
dered, and  then,  affairs  being  warm  in  Rome,  and  hearing 
you  had  come  back  from  the  sea,  why,  I  came  back  to  the 
old  banner." 

"  It  is  said  that  Gandia  was  murdered  by  the  Cardinal 
Ascanio  Sforza." 

"  Indeed  no,  your  excellency  !  I  saw  the  deed  done.  It 
was  in  this  way :  the  Duke  and  his  brother  Cesare,  then 
Cardinal  of  Valencia,  supped  at  the  house  of  their  mother, 


146  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

the  Lady  Vannozza.  After  supper  they  must  needs  walk 
home  together ;  I  was  the  Duke's  sole  attendant,  but  Cesare 
was  accompanied  by  his  cut-throat  Michelotto  and  half-a- 
dozen  others.  On  the  way  some  mention  was  made  of 
Donna  Sancia,  Don  Giuffre's  wife,  and  the  brothers  came  to 
blows.  The  Cardinal  stabbed  the  Duke  with  his  own  haud, 
and  he  gave  a  great  cry  and  fell  down  dead.  Seeing  it  was 
no  use  trying  to  help  a  dead  man,  and  being  in  no  hurry  to 
trouble  St.  Peter  myself,  I  knocked  down  the  strangler 
Michelotto,  and  making  a  run  for  it,  escaped  with  a  whole 
skin.  The  body  of  the  Duke  was  flung  into  the  Tiber,  and 
was  discovered  by  a  charcoal  monger  of  the  Eipetta,  whom 
Cesare  hanged  at  Tor  di  Nona,  as  a  reward  for  his  intelli- 
gence. They  buried  the  Duke,  as  you  know,  signore,  in 
Santa  Maria  del  Popolo — poor  man  !  " 

"  And  you  mean  to  say  that  this  was  never  known  to  the 
Pope?" 

"  I  never  said  anything  about  that,  your  worship ;  a 
secret  cannot  be  kept  by  half-a-dozen,  and  I  dare  swear  our 
Lord  knows  all  about  it  or  else  the  Cardinal  Ascanio  would 
hardly  be  in  the  Cesarini  as  he  is.  These  things,  however, 
must  not  be  spoken  of  in  Pome.  Men's  tongues  should  be 
weighted  with  lead  when  the  Borgia's  name  crops  up." 

We  had  by  this  time  come  opposite  the  Monte  Testaccio, 
that  curious  mound  made  of  old  pottery,  which  lies  towards 
the  river,  south-west  of  the  Ostian  Gate,  and  so  engrossed 
were  we  in  our  talk,  that  we  did  not  observe  a  large  party 
of  riders  of  both  sexes,  with  an  escort  of  men-at-arms,  com- 
ing at  a  hand  gallop  from  our  right,  straight  in  our  direc- 
tion. Our  attention  was  however  sharply  drawn  to  the  fact 
by  the  cry  of  an  equerry  who  was  riding  well  in  advance  of 
the  others,  and  this  man  shouted : 

"  The  road !  The  road !  Way  for  His  Holiness !  Way ! 
Way ! " 


ROME.  147 

We  drew  off  at  once  to  the  side,  Jacopo  dismounting  and 
sinking  to  his  knees.  I  however  contented  myself  with  un- 
covering, and  watching  with  no  little  astonishment  the 
party  as  they  came  up.  They  were  evidently  returning 
from  hawking,  and  at  the  head  of  the  clump  of  riders  were 
two  men  in  full  Turkish  costume. 

"  Who  are  those  Turks  ? "  I  asked  Jacopo,  and  the 
knave  still  kneeling,  and  holding  his  hands  up  in  supplica- 
tion, answered  hurriedly — 

"  One  is  the  Soldan  Djem,  excellency— 0  Lord,  I  trust 
we  may  not  be  hanged  as  an  afternoon's  amusement — the 
other,  the  fair  one,  old  Alexander  VI.  himself— 0  Lord ! 
What  cursed  luck!  Kneel,  excellency;  it  is  our  only 
chance." 

"  Tush ! "  I  replied,  and  remembered  at  once  that  the 
brother  of  Bajazet,  the  Grand  Turk,  was  a  hostage  in  Rome, 
practically  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  Alexander,  a  legacy  he 
had  inherited  from  the  Cibo,  and  which  brought  him  forty 
thousand  ducats  annually.  I  could  understand  Djem  in 
Eastern  costume,  but  the  Pope  masquerading  in  broad  delight 
as  a  Moor !  It  was  as  wonderful  as  it  was  disgusting  to  me. 
And  then  the  remembrance  of  Corte's  daughter  came  to  my 
mind,  and  as  they  approached,  I  could  hardly  refrain  from 
making  a  dash  to  rid  the  world  of  the  monster  who  sat  in  St. 
Peter's  chair.  I  barely  saluted  as  they  passed,  but  Jacopo 
roared  out  for  a  blessing,  and  the  papal  hand  airily  cast  a 
benediction  at  us.  Alexander  was  apparently  in  a  high 
good-humour,  for,  turning  in  his  saddle,  he  made  some  jok- 
ing remark  to  a  lady  who  rode  a  trifle  behind  him,  whereat 
she  laughed  loudly,  a  harsh  unmusical  laugh,  and  glanced  at 
me  with  a  half-amused  air,  from  under  her  heavy  lashes  as 
she  went  by.  The  rest  of  the  party,  spurring,  laughing  and 
chattering  were  a  few  yards  behind ;  and  as  they  clattered 
on  to  the  road,  Djem,  giving  a  wild  shout  of  Allah  !  Allah! 


148         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

threw  the  reins  on  the  neck  of  his  barb,  and  galloped 
through  the  gate  at  full  speed,  followed  by  Alexander  and 
the  rest  of  the  riders,  who  urging  their  mounts  to  a  racing 
pace,  and,  both  men  and  women,  yelling  in  imitation  of  the 
Moor,  vanished  through  the  gate  after  him  in  a  whirlwind 
of  dust.  So  quickly  did  all  this  happen,  that  I  had  hardly 
time  to  observe  the  faces  of  those  who  passed  me,  and  in- 
deed, so  astonished  was  I,  that  I  had  scarce  room  in  my 
mind  for  any  other  feeling.  I  had  of  course  heard  wild 
tales  of  the  Vatican,  and  strange  and  horrible  stories  of  the 
Borgia  himself,  indeed  there  was  one  crime  that  should 
have  brought  down  God's  lightning  on  the  man,  for  all 
that  he  was  the  Vicar  of  Christ ;  but  I  never  for  one  mo- 
ment conceived  it  possible  that  Alexander  could  so  far  for- 
get his  place  as  to  appear  in  public  robed  as  a  heathen, 
and  gallop  through  the  streets  of  Rome  like  a  drunken 
madman. 

When  they  had  gone,  Jacopo  arose  from  his  knees,  and 
dusting  them  with  his  hands  whilst  he  looked  up  at  me, 
said :  "  Corpo  di  Bacco  !  But  I  gave  up  all  for  lost.  I  vow 
a  candle  to  St.  Mary  of — I  forget  where — but  to  the  shrine 
nearest  to  the  place  we  dine,  for  this  lucky  escape." 

"  Come,  sirrah ! "  I  said,  a  little  annoyed,  "  mount. 
There  never  was  any  danger." 

"  Your  excellency  is  pleased  to  say  so,"  he  replied,  swing- 
ing himself  into  the  saddle,  "  but  if  you  saw  two  old  men 
and  a  half-dozen  old  women  strung  up  for  merely  blocking 
the  way,  as  I  did  at  Tor  di  Nona,  perhaps  your  worship 
would  think  as  I  do." 

I  made  no  reply,  allowing  Jacopo  the  run  of  his  tongue 
to  relieve  his  feelings,  and  we  went  on  slowly  until  we 
reached  the  gate.  Here  I  spoke,  "As  you  know  Rome  bet- 
ter than  I  do,  Jacopo,  you  had  best  lead  the  way ;  but  I 
want  to  pass  by  the  two  houses  of  my  family  before  we 


ROME.  149 

make  for  the  Strangers'  Quarters,  where  we  must  find  a 
lodging  for  the  night." 

"  Very  well,  your  worship ! "  and  Jacopo  drew  a  little 
to  the  front.  "  There  they  go,"  he  said,  shading  his  eyes 
with  his  hands,  and  turning  to  the  left,  where  a  dun  cloud 
of  dust  on  the  Via  della  Marmorata  marked  the  progress  of 
the  Borgia.  "  The  best  way,  signore,"  he  continued,  "  is  over 
the  hill ;  we  will  get  a  view  from  there,  and  then  passing  by 
the  places  you  want  to  see,  make  for  a  quiet  hostel  I  know 
of  in  the  Strangers'  Quarters." 

Following  him,  we  rode  up  the  Aventine,  until  we 
reached  the  old  wall  of  Servius  Tullius,  here  we  stopped  to 
observe  the  view.  To  the  west  and  south-west  we  could  see 
the  green  of  the  Campugna  merging  into  the  distant  grey  of 
the  Roman  Maremma,  whilst  beyond  that  a  clear  blue  line, 
below  the  flush  of  the  coming  sunset,  marked  the  sea.  Be- 
neath us  lay  the  Tiber  and  the  Island,  the  yellow  water  of 
the  river  stirred  into  ripples  by  the  breeze,  and  looking  from 
the  distance  like  hammered  brass.  Beyond  the  Tiber  rose 
Monte  Gianicolo,  behind  which  the  top  of  the  Vatican  Hill 
was  just  visible.  To  the  north  the  view  was  a  little  shut  in 
by  the  Palatine  and  the  church  of  St.  Prisca  above  us,  and 
far  off  rose  the  cone  of  Soratte.  North-east  and  east  lay  the 
Palatine,  the  Esquiline,  with  the  campaniles  of  Santa  Maria 
Maggiore  and  San  Pietro  in  Vincoli.  Over  Monte  Coelio 
we  could  see  the  heights  of  the  Sabine  Hills,  and  running  our 
eyes  along  the  Appian  Way,  we  could  almost  descry  the 
Alban  Lake,  the  mountains  being  distinctly  visible.  We 
stayed  for  a  few  moments  drinking  in  the  view,  and  thru 
going  onwards,  turned  north-west,  past  St.  Prisca,  and  began 
the  descent,  by  a  winding  way,  held  in  by  vineyards. 
Coming  down  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  three  churches  of 
the  Aventine,  namely  S.  Sabina,  S.  Maria  Aventina,  and  St. 
Alessio,  which  was  held   by  the  monastery  of  St.  Jerome, 


150  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

whose  walls  rose  hard  at  hand.  A  look  to  the  right  showed 
us  the  Circus  Maximus,  above  which  towered  a  huge  obe- 
lisk surrounded  by  four  lions.  At  length  we  came  to  the 
Vicola  di  San  Sabina,  and  at  the  corner  of  the  street  rose 
the  grey  walls  and  square  tower  of  the  castle  of  the  Savelli. 
I  drew  rein,  and  looked  at  it  with  a  bitter  heart,  and  a 
sigh  I  could  not  control  escaped  me,  as  I  saw  the  breeze 
catch  and  spread  to  the  wind  the  silken  folds  of  the  stand- 
ard of  the  Chigi,  who  bore  quartered  on  their  shield  the  star 
of  the  Savelli  and  the  tree  of  De  la  Rovere.  It  flaunted 
there,  in  all  the  insolent  pomp  of  a  new  house,  whose  money- 
bags were  full,  and  the  sight  of  it  was  enough  for  me. 
Jacopo  must  have  caught  the  look  on  my  face,  for  he  said 
kindly — 

"Who  knows,  excellency — luck  may  turn." 

Well  meant  as  the  words  were,  they  jarred  on  me,  and 
without  replying  I  moved  on,  silently  raising  my  sword  to 
the  salute,  as  I  passed  the  grim  gates  from  which  my  ances- 
tors held  the  road  as  far  as  the  river,  and  almost  held  Rome 
itself. 

As  we  went  past  the  Island,  I  did  not  even  raise  my 
head  to  see  the  Theatre  of  Marcellus,  within  which  lay 
another  and  the  oldest  of  our  family  houses,  having  come 
to  us  through  Pierleone  towards  the  close  of  the  eleventh 
century. 

Jacopo  was  for  going  straight  on  past  the  monastery  of 
the  Aracoeli,  on  the  Capitol ;  but  unluckily  I  discovered 
that  my  horse  had  cast  a  shoe,  and  this  was  a  matter  not  to 
be  neglected.  So  we  turned  to  the  right,  and  entered  the 
Campo  Vaccino,  formerly  the  Forum  of  Rome.  It  being 
now  sunset,  here  were  collected  hundreds  of  oxen  and  buf- 
faloes, and  from  the  height  of  Monte  Caprino  we  could 
hear  the  bleating  of  the  herds  of  goats  which  were  pas- 
tured thereon,  and  the  tinkling  of  their  bells  as  they  moved 


ROME.  151 

slowly  down  towards  their  shelter  for  the  night.  A  hun- 
dred fires  were  blazing  cheerfully,  and  served  to  dissipate 
the  blue  vapour  which  began  to  hang  over  the  place. 
Eound  these  fires  were  groups  of  people,  mostly  country- 
men, who  seemed  in  the  best  of  spirits,  as  they  listened  to 
songs,  or  watched  numbers  of  their  party,  who  danced 
merrily  to  the  tune  of  a  pipe.  Hard  by  were  a  number  of 
sheds,  used  by  mechanics,  and  the  blaze,  which  showed  a 
forge  in  work,  soon  attracting  our  attention,  we  made  there 
at  once,  and  had  the  horse  attended  to. 

Whilst  the  smith  was  beating  out  a  shoe,  I  sat  down 
on  a  rough  bench,  my  horse  being  fastened  to  a  wooden 
post,  and  Jacopo  holding  his  nag  by  the  bridle  paced  up 
and  down,  occasionally  stamping  his  feet  on  the  ground  to 
free  them,  as  he  said,  from  the  ants.  In  other  words  he 
was  suffering  slightly  from  cramp.  To  my  right  was  a 
large  crowd,  evidently  enjoying  a  show  of  jugglery,  and 
from  their  cries  of  wonderment  and  pleasure,  they  seemed 
to  be  having  their  money's  worth.  So  I  rose  and  elbowed 
my  way  to  a  good  place,  unfortunately  only  in  time  to  see 
the  end  of  the  affair.  The  juggler  was  robed  in  a  doctor's 
gown,  and  after  performing  a  trick,  he  distributed  nostrums 
for  various  ailments,  free  of  payment.  Imagine  my  sur- 
prise, in  recognising  in  him  no  other  than  Mathew  Corte ; 
and  as  I  came  up,  he  placed  a  tambourine  in  his  little  dog's 
mouth,  and  bade  him  carry  it  round  for  subscriptions. 
Coppers  were  freely  flung  in,  and  as  the  little  animal 
stopped  before  me,  I  dropped  in  a  florin,  and  stooped  to 
pat  its  head.  As  I  rose  I  caught  Corte's  eye,  and  saw  he 
knew  me,  but  as  he  made  no  sign  I  stayed  quiet.  Collect- 
ing his  money,  the  doctor  bowed  his  thanks,  and  began 
packing  up  the  instruments  of  his  trade.  I  went  back  to 
my  seat,  and  watched  the  smith  at  work  on  my  horse,  think- 
ing that  Corte  must  have  somehow  come  into  funds,  and 


152         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

wondering  how  he  had  managed  it.  After  a  little  time  I 
felt  a  touch  on  my  shoulder,  and  turning  round  saw  him 
beside  me.  I  invited  him  to  a  seat,  inquiring  after  his 
health. 

"  It  grows  better  day  by  day,"  he  answered,  "  now  that 
my  work  is  begun.     And  you,  signore  ?  " 

"  I  can  say  the  same,"  I  answered  ;  "  I  grow  better  day 
by  day,  now  that  my  work  is  begun." 

"  There  is  a  favour  I  ask,  Messer  Donati,"  he  went  on. 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"It  is  this,  and  do  not  think  me  ungrateful.  I  am 
here  playing  a  part.  We  will  meet  again,  perhaps,  under 
different  surroundings.  All  I  ask  is  that  if  we  do,  you  will 
make  no  sign  of  recognition,  nor  mention  to  anyone  that 
you  know  me." 

"  As  you  wish,  Messer  Corte." 

"  A  hundred  thanks,  and  yet  another  thing — short 
reckonings  make  long  friends,"  and  he  pressed  into  my 
palm  two  gold  pieces,  the  amount  of  the  sum  I  had  left 
with  him  the  night  his  daughter  died.  I  had  no  desire  to 
take  them  back,  not  knowing  how  Corte  stood  ;  but  he  as- 
sured me  he  would  be  deeply  offended  if  I  did  not,  and  that 
he  was  well  provided  with  the  sinews  of  war.  Where  he 
had  got  them  I  know  not,  and  of  course  I  had  no  option 
but  to  receive  back  the  money  I  had  given  him,  though  I 
did  this  most  unwillingly.  When  this  was  over,  he  pressed 
my  hand  once  more,  and,  wishing  me  good  night,  hur- 
ried off. 

By  this  time  the  blacksmith  had  completed  his  task, 
and  we  delayed  no  longer,  but  went  off  at  once.  It  was 
fortunate  that  Jacopo  knew  Rome  as  he  did,  or  we  might 
have  been  hopelessly  lost  in  the  labyrinth  of  streets,  some 
of  them  in  total  ruin,  some  of  them  entirely  uninhabited, 
for  at  the  time  so  hideous  was  the  misgovernment  of  the 


ROME.  153 

city,  that  all  who  could  do  so  had  fled  from  Rome,  and  those 
who  remained  could  not  have  exceeded  thirty  thousand  in 
number,  of  whom  at  least  ten  thousand,  men  and  women, 
were  beings  who  had  lost  all  claim  to  the  respect  of  man- 
kind,  and  were  capable  of  almost  any  crime.  These  are 
hard  words,  but  true,  nor  indeed  have  I  ever  seen  a  place 
where  all  that  was  bad  was  so  shamelessly  exposed,  as  in 
Borne  when  Roderigo  Borgia  was  Pope.  At  length  we 
reached  the  Strangers'  Quarters,  but  Jacopo's  hostel  was 
not  to  be  found,  and  after  searching  for  it  in  vain,  we  were 
content  to  pull  up  before  the  door  of  a  small  inn  built  on 
the  lower  slope  of  Monte  Pincio,  barely  a  bow-shot  from  S. 
Trinita  de'  Monte,  the  church  erected  by  Charles  of  France 
in  1495,  and  a  little  beyond  the  convent  of  the  Dames  du 
Sacre  Coeur.  I  cannot  say  that  the  hostel  was  an  inviting- 
looking  place ;  in  fact  it  was  little  better  than  one  of  the 
common  osterie  or  wineshops  with  which  Rome  abounded  ; 
but  it  was  too  late  to  pick  and  choose,  and  for  the  night 
at  least,  I  determined  to  stay  here.  Our  first  duty  was  to 
attend  to  the  horses,  which  we  had  stabled  in  stalls,  imme- 
diately below  the  room  to  be  occupied  by  me,  Jacopo  having 
to  put  up  with  lodgings  in  the  stables  for  the  night.  After 
the  beasts  had  been  fed  and  groomed,  I  set  myself  to  a 
plain  dinner,  washed  down  with  the  contents  of  a  straw- 
covered  mezzo  fiasco  of  Prascati.  Jacopo  waited  on  me,  and 
when  I  was  done,  contentedly  devoured  the  remainder  of 
the  manzo  or  boiled  beef,  and  cooled  his  throat  with  a  bot- 
tle of  Marino,  which  I  presented  to  him.  Whilst  he  was 
thus  engaged,  I  went  down  and  had  another  look  at  the 
horses,  and  as  I  patted  their  necks,  and  they  whinnied  at 
me,  I  thought  regretfully  of  the  good  beast  who  lay  dead 
on  the  Leghorn  road,  and  wondered  what  had  become  of 
Brico,   of    whom,    notwithstanding    his    villain}-,    I    could 

hardly  think  of  without  smiling.     It  was  in  truth  strange 
11 


154         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

that  a  man,  so  arrant  a  poltroon  at  heart,  should  desert  his 
natural  occupation  of  a  lackey,  to  play  the  bravo,  and  pose 
as  a  soldier.  How  he  had  ever  even  obtained  the  rank  of 
ancient  was  a  matter  of  surprise  and  wonder  to  me.  At 
length  I  dismissed  him  from  my  mind,  and  coming  back, 
found  Jacopo  at  the  end  of  his  meal  and  his  bottle.  It 
was  late  enough  now,  and  giving  him  warning  to  sleep 
lightly,  and  to  arouse  me  at  once  if  necessity  arose,  for  I 
liked  not  the  look  of  the  place,  I  climbed  up  the  ladder 
leading  to  the  loft  above  the  stables,  which  was  to  serve 
me  as  a  chamber  for  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

GEORGE    OF   AMBOISE. 

I  should  mention  that  before  retiring  I  had  obtained 
from  the  landlord  a  good-sized  lanthorn,  which  I  had  care- 
fully filled  with  oil,  and  trimmed  under  my  own  eyes. 
Holding  this  in  my  hand  I  ascended  the  ladder  leading  to 
the  chamber,  or  rather  loft  I  was  to  occupy,  and  on  gain- 
ing my  point  I  placed  it  on  the  floor,  near  the  opening  by 
which  the  ladder  led  into  the  room,  and  so  directed  the 
light  that  its  glare  passed  downwards,  and  up  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  stables,  leaving  the  sides  of  the  stables  in 
darkness,  although  my  own  room  was  bright  enough.  This 
was  a  precautionary  measure,  as  it  would  discover  any  one 
attempting  to  come  in  by  the  stable  entrance,  which  had 
no  door,  and  would  enable  me  at  any  time  to  see  to  rush 
down  quickly  to  the  aid  of  Jacopo,  should  he  need  it.  I 
debated  a  short  while  as  to  whether  I  should  undress  for 
the  night ;  but  so  little  did  I  like  the  looks  of  the  place, 
which  was  more  like  a  house  of  call  for  bravos  than  any- 
thing I  had  seen,  that  I  did  nothing  beyond  removing  my 
boots,  and  flinging  myself  as  I  was  on  the  vile  truckle-bed 
in  the  room,  I  placed  my  drawn  sword  by  my  side,  and 
sought  to  sleep,  struggling  resolutely  to  get  this,  despite 
the  legions  of  inhabitants  the  bed  contained,  who  with  one 
accord  sallied  forth  to  feast  upon  me.  But  sleep  I  was  de- 
termined to  have,  as  I  had  work  for  to-morrow,  and  know- 

155 


150         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

ing  Jacopo  to  own  sharp  eyes  and  quick  ears  felt  no  scruple 
about  getting  my  rest,  determining  however,  to  make  it 
up  the  next  day  to  my  knave  for  his  vigil,  which  I  was 
sure  would  be  faithfully  kept.  Finally,  despite  the  attacks 
of  my  enemies,  I  dropped  off  into  a  light  slumber,  which 
lasted  for  two  or  three  hours,  when  I  was  startled  by  hear- 
ing a  shrill  whistle,  the  clash  of  swords,  the  kicking  and 
plunging  of  the  horses,  and  Jacopo's  voice  shouting  out  my 
name.  I  woke  up  at  once,  with  all  my  wits  about  me,  and 
on  the  instant  ran  down  the  ladder,  sword  in  hand,  parry- 
ing more  by  accident  than  design,  a  cut  that  was  made  at 
me  by  some  one  as  I  descended. 

As  I  touched  ground,  two  men  darted  out  of  the  door, 
and  ran  across  the  half-ruined  yard  in  front  of  the  stables. 
A  third,  whom  I  recognised  as  Jacopo,  was  about  to  follow, 
but  I  held  him  back  by  the  shoulder,  having  no  mind  to 
run  risks  around  dark  corners  whilst  I  had  my  letter  to  de- 
liver. Jacopo  yielded  to  me  very  unwillingly,  and  in  an- 
swer to  my  hurried  inquiry,  gave  me  an  account  of  the 
affair  which  had  been  as  brief  as  it  was  noisy. 

"  When  your  worship  retired,"  said  he,  "  leaving  the 
lanthorn  to  so  to  conveniently  light  up  the  stable  entrance, 
I  had  another  look  at  the  horses,  and  then  settled  myself 
down  on  that  heap  of  straw  yonder,  my  back  to  the  wall, 
and  my  sword  in  my  right  hand.  So  an  hour,  or  may  be 
two,  passed,  and  then  I  heard  voices  outside,  and  some  one 
swearing  at  the  light.  Oh  ho !  says  I  to  myself,  there's  a 
night-hawk  about,  and  I  remained  on  the  alert,  not  think- 
ing it  worth  while  to  give  tongue  then.  After  a  while  the 
voices  dropped  away — and,  excellency,  I  am  sorry,  but  I 
must  have  slipped  off  into  a  doze,  and  beshrew  me !  if  I  did 
not  dream  I  was  aboard  that  cursed  ship  again,  and  being 
made  to  play  pea-in-the-drum  once  more.  I  therefore 
made  haste  to  awaken,  and  as  I  opened  my  eyes  heard  a 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  157 

crackling  noise  outside.  I  rose  slowly  and  crept  towards 
the  entrance,  and  just  as  I  reached  within  three  feet  of  it 
a  handful  of  pebbles  was  thrown  in,  and  one  of  the  horses 
started  a  bit.  The  stones  were  clearly  flung  from  outside 
to  see  if  any  one  was  awake ;  but  of  course  I  made  no  sign, 
and  the  next  minute  two  men  appeared  at  the  open  en- 
trance. I  gave  a  whistle  to  rouse  your  honour,  and  went  at 
them  at  once — and  your  excellency  knows  the  rest.  I  think 
however  I  touched  one — see  there !  " 

He  held  the  point  of  his  blade  to  the  light,  and  placed 
the  end  of  his  finger  on  a  stain  on  the  sword. 

"  Three  inches  at  least,"  he  exclaimed,  and  with  a  satis- 
fied air,  stooped  down  to  clean  his  finger  on  the  straw  at 
his  feet.  I  thanked  the  good  fellow  for  his  zeal  and  the 
fidelity  he  had  shown. 

"  As  for  that,  excellency,"  he  said,  "  there  is  no  need  to 
praise  me,  for  I  expect  to  be  made  a  cavaliere  when  your 
worship  wins  back  the  lordships  of  the  Savelli ! " 

"  You  are  brave  enough  for  a  cavaliere,"  I  laughed, 
"  the  point  however  for  you  at  present  is  sleep.  Go  up  to 
my  room  and  get  what  you  can.  I  have  done  for  to-night, 
and  will  watch  the  horses.  It  was  after  them  that  our 
visitors  came." 

But  to  this  he  would  not  consent  on  any  account,  nor 
was  I  so  anxious  to  go  back  to  that  bed,  so  bringing 
down  the  light  from  above,  we  passed  the  rest  of  the  night 
close  to  the  horses.  In  the  intervals  of  dozing  Jacopo  re- 
lated to  me,  twice  over,  in  the  minutest  detail,  the  story  of 
the  hanging  of  the  two  old  men  and  six  old  women  which 
he  had  seen  at  Tor  di  Nona,  and  finally  sank  off  into  sleep. 
I  did  not  make  any  attempt  to  arouse  him,  and  kept  on  the 
watch  myself  until  the  lanthorn  burned  with  a  sickly  glare, 
and  the  crowing  of  a  cock  told  us  the  morning  was  begun. 
In  a  few  minutes  it  was  light  enough  to  see,  and  Jacopo 


158  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

rising,  shook  himself  like  a  dog,  and  stepping  up  to  the 
lanthorn  extinguished  it;  after  which,  with  much  whis- 
tling, he  set  himself  to  water  the  animals,  give  them  their 
morning  feed,  and  groom  them. 

Leaving  him  thus  engaged,  I  strolled  out  into  the  court- 
yard, where  there  was  already  a  figure  or  two  moving,  and 
stepping  through  a  gap  in  the  ruined  wall,  climbed  up  a 
portion  of  the  slope  of  Monte  Pincio,  following  a  narrow 
lane,  on  each  side  of  which  was  a  half-deserted  garden,  and 
bending  my  steps  to  where,  from  amidst  a  clump  of  trees,  I 
could  hear  the  song  of  a  caponera  cTedera  or  blackcap,  who 
was  in  full  tune.  Attracted  by  the  music  of  the  bird,  I  went 
on  until  I  heard  the  plashing  of  water,  and  found  myself  at 
the  basin  of  a  deserted  fountain,  which  was  hemmed  in  with 
vines  and  creepers,  and  from  which  a  thin  stream  of  water 
was  pouring,  and  bubbling  down  the  hillside  in  the  direc- 
tion of  S.  Trinita  di  Monte.  The  basin  was  made  of  grey 
stone,  cracked  with  age  in  many  places,  and  from  these 
fissures  sprouted  masses  of  white  serpyllum,  the  flowers  in 
full  bloom.  In  the  centre  of  the  basin  was  a  much  dam- 
aged figure  of  Ceres,  and  from  her  horn  a  stream  of  water 
fell  with  a  melodious  splashing,  which,  mingled  with  the 
song  of  the  bird,  had  a  pleasing  effect  upon  my  ear.  I  took 
advantage  of  the  solitude  of  the  spot  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of 
a  bath,  and  when  I  had  dressed  again,  climbed  a  few  feet 
higher,  and  facing  round  ran  my  eye  idly  over  the  view. 
Through  the  grey  mist  rising  over  the  houses  and  vineyards, 
the  Tiber  lay,  like  a  yellow  snake  at  rest ;  one  could  see  no 
motion  of  the  waters.  Near  the  Ripetta,  long  spirals  of 
dark  smoke  curling  up  to  the  sky  marked  the  quarters  of 
the  charcoal-burners,  and  the  sunrise,  which  was  behind  me, 
cast  a  glory  on  the  colossal  statue  of  the  archangel  Michael, 
where  it  stood  on  the  gloomy  keep  of  St.  Angelo,  like  a  tri- 
umphant god  alighting  upon  earth.     A  dark  rolling  mist, 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  159 

bright  at  the  top  with  the  sunlight,  blue-grey  beneath,  cov- 
ered the  city  below  me  ;  but  I  could  make  out  the  octagonal 
dome  of  the  hospital  of  San  Spirito,  the  vast  walls  of  the 
Vatican,  then  in  course  of  construction,  and  the  dark  stretch 
of  cork  trees  that  rilled  the  Valle  dell'  Inferno,  beyond  the 
Vatican  hill.  Monte  Mario  was  all  alight,  and  I  could  dis- 
tinctly make  out  the  Villa  Mellini  on  its  summit.  There 
were  landmarks  that  even  a  stranger,  such  as  myself,  who 
had  the  barest  knowledge  of  the  place,  could  not  miss ;  and 
as  I  watched  the  heaving  mist  below  me,  I  saw  a  sudden  flash 
from  the  bastion  of  St.  Angelo,  and  a  moment  after  the 
boom  of  the  morning  gun  reached  my  ears.  I  did  not  wait 
to  observe  more  of  the  scene,  but  retraced  my  steps  to  the 
albergo,  where  I  found  that  Jacopo  had  ordered  a  little 
table  to  be  put  out  into  the  portico,  and  on  this  my  break- 
fast was  set.  As  I  attacked  this,  Jacopo  asked  the  order  of 
the  day,  and  I  informed  him  that  when  he  had  breakfasted 
we  should  settle  with  the  host  and  seek  other  lodgings,  after 
I  had  attended  to  the  business  I  had  with  Monsignore 
d'Amboise. 

My  henchman  was  also  anxious  to  know  if  I  meant  to 
take  any  steps  with  regard  to  the  attempt  at  robbery  last 
night.  I  was  well  enough  inclined,  but  determined  to  let 
the  matter  rest  until  my  business  was  done,  and  for  the  pres- 
ent said  I  would  remain  content  with  the  satisfaction  that 
we  had  saved  our  steeds  and  throats.  By  the  time  I  finished 
breakfast,  Jacopo,  who  had  already  taken  a  meal,  had  sad- 
dled the  horses,  and  was  holding  them  ready  for  our  depar- 
ture. I  summoned  mine  host,  but  at  first  could  obtain  no 
view  of  him.  Finally  on  my  threat  to  depart  without  set- 
tling my  score,  he  appeared  with  his  arm  bound  up  in  a 
sling.  As  he  was  unwounded  the  evening  before,  I  made 
no  doubt  but  that  lie  was  one  of  the  two  who  had  visited  us 
last  night,  but  said  nothing,  merely  remarking,  as  I  paid 


160         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

my  account,  that  the  love  of  horseflesh  frequently  brought 
people  into  trouble.  He  did  not  seem  to  appreciate  the  re- 
mark, and  scowled  at  me,  at  which  I  bade  him  begone,  and 
to  thank  his  stars  that  his  house  was  not  pulled  about  his 
ears.  He  did  not  attempt  any  reply,  but  slunk  off,  and  in- 
wardly resolving  to  clear  out  this  nest  of  scorpions  from 
Kome  at  the  first  chance,  I  rode  out  of  the  gate,  followed  by 
Jacopo,  and  we  directed  our  way  towards  the  Ponte  S. 
Angelo.  I  had  not  the  least  idea  where  his  emienence  of 
Kouen  was  staying ;  but  made  certain  it  would  be  somewhere 
in  the  Borgo,  and  that  once  I  had  reached  the  papal  quar- 
ter, I  should  find  no  difficulty  in  my  search  for  D'Amboise, 
and  in  delivering  to  him  Machiavelli's  letter. 

As  I  went  on,  I  began  to  feel  nervous  in  spite  of  myself, 
as  to  what  the  results  of  my  interview  with  the  cardinal 
would  be,  and  whether  it  would  end  in  the  further  employ- 
ment, which  the  Secretary  had  distinctly  said  it  would.  I 
had  no  reason  to  doubt,  however,  and  it  was  with  a  hopeful 
mind  that  I  trotted  up  the  Lungo  Tavere,  and  was  brought 
to  a  halt  by  a  gruesome  spectacle  at  Tor  di  Nona.  There 
was  a  crowd  assembled,  watching  an  execution,  and  Jacopo, 
sidling  up  to  me,  remarked  as  he  pointed  to  a  body  swinging 
in  the  air — 

"  What  room  there  would  be  for  Messer  Braccio  Forte- 
braccio  here,  signore — see  that  pear,  of  the  kind  he  loves, 

growing  there  ?    Barta  !   But  there  is  another  one "  and, 

even  as  he  spoke,  another  wretch  was  hoisted  into  the  air, 
and  then  another  and  another.  I  did  not  stop  to  look ;  but 
Jacopo  stayed  behind,  overtaking  me  at  a  gallop  as  I  reached 
the  Piazza  di  S.  Angelo. 

"  It  is  the  doctor  of  St.  John's  on  the  Lateran,  and  three 
of  his  bravos,  signore.  It  is  said  he  was  accustomed  to 
spend  his  evenings  in  cutting  purses  and  throats ;  but,  as 
ill  luck  would  have  it,  meddled  with  one  of   Giulia  Bel- 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  161 

la's  friends,  and  no  money  could  buy  an   indulgence  for 
that." 

"  If  true  he  is  well  served,  and  there  are  others  of  his 
kidney  whom  we  could  spare  with  equal  pleasure." 

"  Mine  host  of  our  inn,  excellency,  for  instance.  But 
the  gibbet  at  Tor  di  Nona  does  not  always  bear  fruit  like 
this.     I  mind  early  one " 

At  this  moment,  however,  I  set  spurs  to  my  horse  and 
lost  the  rest,  being  afraid  that  Jacopo  intended  to  retail  to 
me  the  story  of  the  old  men  and  women  who  had  been 
hanged  as  a  morning's  diversion  by  Cesare  Borgia,  and  as 
he  had  twice  delivered  himself  of  this  to  me  as  we  sat  up 
last  night,  1  was  in  no  mood  to  hear  it  again  for  the  third 
time.  Near  the  statues  of  Peter  and  Paul,  on  the  bridge, 
was  a  guard-house,  occupied  at  the  time  by  a  detachment 
of  Spanish  infantry,  and  to  these  men  I  addressed  myself, 
inquiring  where  the  cardinal  of  Eouen  was  staying.  I  was 
told,  at  once,  that  his  eminence  Avas  lodging  in  the  new 
palace  of  Cardinal  Corneto,  opposite  the  Seorsa  Oavalli,  and 
that  my  best  way  was  to  turn  to  the  left  on  crossing  the 
bridge,  and  then  to  the  right  at  the  junction  of  the  Borgo 
San  Spirito  and  the  Borgo  San  Miehele. 

Bestowing  my  thanks  and  a  largesse  on  the  men  for 
their  kindness,  I  went  on  at  a  gallop,  congratulating  myself 
on  the  ease  with  which  the  difficulty  was  solved,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  had  crossed  the  Piazza  Scorsa  Cavalli,  ami  was 
before  the  residence  of  the  cardinal.  At  the  time  1  speak 
of,  it  was  not  quite  finished,  but  still  habitable,  and  had 
been  rented  by  Monsignore  d'Amboise,  as  being  conven- 
iently near  the  Vatican. 

On  entering  the  courtyard,  I  dismounted,  and  giving 
my  horse  to  Jacopo  to  hold,  ascended  the  steps,  and  boldly 
announced  myself  as  an  urgent  messenger  who  had  busi- 
ness with  his  eminence.     I  was  ushered  by  a  page  into  a 


162         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

reception  room,  and  early  as  the  hour  was,  there  were  a 
considerable  number  of  people  already  in  attendance,  await- 
ing the  morning  levee.  Here  I  was  left  to  cool  my  heels 
for  a  little  time,  the  spruce  page  informing  me  that  the 
cardinal  was  engaged  at  breakfast,  but  that  he  would  tell 
him  of  my  coming,  and  asked  my  name.  I  hesitated  for  a 
moment,  but  decided  to  keep  the  name  of  Donati  which  I 
had  assumed,  and  gave  that,  adding  that  I  was  the  bearer 
of  an  urgent  despatch  to  the  cardinal,  which  I  must  deliver 
with  my  own  hands.  The  young  man  then  left  me,  as  I 
have  said,  and  taking  a  good  position  near  the  entrance 
door  to  the  adjoining  room,  I  leaned  back  against  the  wall, 
and  awaited  my  summons.  The  reception  room  was  of 
noble  proportions,  oblong  in  shape,  the  ceiling  being  sujv 
ported  by  two  pillars  of  veined  marble,  which,  although 
they  diminished  the  size  of  the  chamber,  had  a  good  effect. 
The  marble  flooring,  arranged  in  a  patchwork  of  black  and 
white,  was  bare  of  all  furniture,  and  as  the  room  gradually 
filled,  the  constant  moving  of  feet,  the  sound  of  which  rang 
sharply  on  the  stone,  made  it  appear  as  if  a  lot  of  masons' 
hammers  were  at  work.  I  let  my  eyes  wander  over  the 
groups  as  they  stood  or  moved  about,  wondering,  if  by 
chance  I  should  see  anyone  I  knew;  but  they  were  all 
strangers  to  me,  mostly  Frenchmen,  with  a  fair  sprinkling 
of  priests  amongst  them.  They  were  one  and  all  trying  to 
jostle  past  each  other,  so  as  to  gain  as  close  a  position  as 
possible  to  the  entrance  door,  near  to  which  I  stood ;  and 
as  I  watched  this  with  some  little  amusement,  I  heard  a 
whisper  in  my  ear,  and  glancing  round  beheld  a  man  stand- 
ing near  me  in  a  doctor's  robe,  holding  a  heavily  bound 
missal  in  his  hand.  I  saw  in  a  moment  it  was  Corte,  and 
he  whispered  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Well  met  again,  signore,  remember  your  promise." 
"  I  do,  and  the  promise  I  made  to  the  juggler  will  not 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  163 

be  forgotten  to  the  doctor.  Is  it  wise,  however,  if  you  wish 
to  remain  unknown,  for  us  to  be  seen  speaking  here  ?  " 

"  Not  very,  but  I  wanted  a  word  with  you.  Do  not  look 
round  at  present,  but  near  the  pillar  to  your  right  are  two 
men,  one  dressed  half  in  cloth  of  gold,  and  they  are  more 
interested  in  you  than  you  think.  I  overheard  a  snatch  of 
conversation — they  are  moving  this  way.  By  your  leave, 
signore,"  raising  his  voice,  he  attempted  to  push  by  me, 
and  catching  the  hint  his  last  words  had  thrown  out,  I 
answered  loudly,  "  First  come,  first  served,  learned  doctor, 
and  you  must  bide  your  turn." 

"I  am  a  man  of  peace,  and  therefore  yield."  Corte 
moved  off,  and  I  was  free  to  look  around  me.  I  saw  that 
Corte's  little  piece  of  acting,  to  which  I  had  risen,  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  man  in  the  cloth  of  gold  and  his  com- 
panion were  edging  nearer  to  us,  and  at  the  time  were  barely 
six  feet  off.  Resting  my  hand  lightly  on  the  hilt  of  my 
sword  I  looked  the  two  full  in  the  face,  but  could  make 
nothing  of  them.  The  one  who  wore  a  jerkin  of  gold  cloth 
met  my  look  for  an  instant,  and  then  dropped  his  eyes,  a 
faint  flush  rising  to  his  cheek.  I  saw  that  he  was  a  young 
man  of  a  singularly  handsome  countenance.  A  short  neatly 
curled  moustache  fell  over  his  upper  lip  and  mouth,  but 
tbere  was  no  sign  of  a  beard  on  the  small  and  rounded 
chin,  which  was  cleanly  shaven.  On  his  right  cheek  he 
wore  a  black  patch,  placed  as  if  to  hide  the  scar  of  a  wound, 
although  his  complexion  was  as  delicate  as  if  the  sun  had 
never  touched  it.  In  his  ears  he  wore  earrings,  an  affecta- 
tion of  female  adornment  hateful  to  me,  and  the  lingers  of 
his  small  right  hand,  which  he  held  ungloved,  were  covered 
with  rings.  The  hilt  of  his  rapier  too,  peeping  from  under 
the  folds  of  his  gay  cloak,  was  crested  with  jewels,  and 
altogether  it  seemed  as  if  I  could  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
this  painted  lily,  who  looked  more  fitted  to  thrum  a  lute  in 


164         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

a  lady's  bower  than  have  aught  to  do  with  the  stir  of  the 
times.  I  therefore  loosed  my  glance  from  him  with  some 
contempt,  and  turned  to  his  companion,  who  was  robed  as 
an  abbe,  and  evidently  in  a  sour  middle  age.  His  features 
were  bolder  than  those  of  his  companion,  but  distinctly 
those  of  the  canaille,  and  there  was  nothing  in  them  in  any 
way  remarkable. 

Nevertheless  I  thought  it  well  to  be  on  the  watch,  know- 
ing that  a  dagger  thrust  is  easily  sent  home,  and  there  was 
the  certainty,  too,  that  the  fact  of  my  coming  to  Eome  with 
a  letter  was  known  to  the  Medici  plotters  in  Florence,  and 
evidently  it  was  their  object  to  frustrate  its  delivery.  What 
puzzled  me,  however,  was  that  the  look  the  young  man  di- 
rected to  me  was  not  unfriendly,  and  it  struck  me  that  if  I 
could  only  hear  his  voice  it  might  give  me  some  clue  to  a 
recognition.  The  two  had  come  a  little  between  me  and 
the  door,  and  I  was  just  about  to  contest  the  place  with  a 
view  of  forcing  their  hands  if  possible,  when  the  door  was 
flung  open  and  the  same  page  who  had  taken  my  name  ap- 
peared and  called  out — 

"  Signor  Donati,  his  eminence  awaits  you." 
As  the  door  opened  there  was  a  general  movement  to- 
wards it.  But  the  cry  of  the  page  in  a  moment  arrested 
the  crowd,  turning  the  look  of  anticipation  on  the  faces  of 
all  to  one  of  disappointment,  and  a  loud  murmuring  arose 
against  my  being  so  favored.  I  lost  not  a  second  in  step- 
ping forward,  and  in  doing  so  purposely  brushed  against 
the  young  man  near  to  me,  turning  round  as  I  did  so  with 
a  somewhat  brusque  "  By  your  leave,  sir."  I  fully  expected 
that  he  would  resent  my  rudeness  and  make  some  speech, 
but  he  merely  bowed  his  head  with  a  courteous  inclination, 
showing  a  set  of  small  and  even  teeth  as  he  smiled  under 
his  blonde  moustache.  I  was  a  little  put  out  by  the  failure 
of  my  plan,  but  the  next  instant  the  door  closed  behind  me, 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  165 

and  at  any  rate  the  letter  to  the  cardinal  was  safe,  and  my 
task  was  as  good  as  accomplished. 

I  followed  the  page  therefore  with  an  equal  mind,  and 
lifting  a  curtain,  which  fell  in  heavy  folds  at  the  end  of  the 
passage,  where  a  couple  of  gorgeous  lackeys  stood,  he  called 
out  "  Messer  Donati,"  and  then  stepped  aside  to  let  me  pass. 
I  entered  the  room  with  a  firm  step,  and  saw  before  me  a 
large,  but  plainly-furnished  apartment.  In  a  lounge  chair 
near  a  small  table,  on  which  was  set  out  a  light  repast,  was 
a  man  whom  I  at  once  guessed  to  be  the  cardinal.  He  wore 
a  purple  robe,  and  the  barettina  or  small  skull  cap,  which 
covered  the  tonsure  on  his  head,  allowed  his  short  grey  hair, 
which  curled  naturally,  to  be  seen  around  it.  Under  the 
cap  I  saw  a  square  resolute  face  with  keen  black  eyes,  and  a 
full  but  kindly  mouth.  He  was  just  putting  down  a  glass 
of  vernaccia  as  I  came  in,  and  I  caught  the  purple  glitter  of 
the  sapphire  ring  he  wore  in  token  of  his  rank,  as  he  set 
down  the  glass.  He  was  not  alone,  for,  leaning  against  the 
window  and  caressing  the  head  of  an  enormous  wolf-hound, 
was  a  splendidly-dressed  cavalier,  who  looked  up  as  I  came 
in,  and  I  saw  at  once  it  was  Bayard.  I  kept  my  eyes  away 
from  him,  however,  and  advancing  straight  towards  the 
cardinal,  placed  the  letter  before  him  without  a  word. 

D'Amboise  looked  at  the  seals  carefully,  and  then  taking 
a  small  jade-hilted  knife  from  the  table,  ripped  open  the 
envelope,  and  ran  his  eye  quickly  over  the  letter.  As  he 
did  so  not  a  muscle  of  his  face  moved  to  show  how  the  con- 
tents stirred  him,  and  when  he  had  finished  he  held  it  out 
at  arm's  length,  saying — 

"  My  dear  Bayard,  what  do  you  think  of  this  ?  " 

Bayard  made  a  step  forward  to  take  the  letter,  and  in 
doing  this  our  eyes  met,  and  he  frankly  held  out  his  hand. 
I  could  hardly  believe  it  when  I  saw  it  extended  towards 
me.     My  breath  came  thick  and  fast,  and  the  whole  room 


166         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI, 

swam  around.  The  man  was  the  soul  of  honour,  the  noblest 
knight  in  Christendom ;  he  had  seen  my  trial,  nay,  he  had 
been  one  of  my  judges,  and  he  offered  me  his  hand !  He 
must  hold  me  guiltless,  I  felt.  "  My  lord ! "  I  rather 
gasped  than  spoke  as  I  took  his  grasp,  but  seeing  my  emo- 
tion, he  put  in — 

"  Sit  down,  cavaliere.  His  eminence  will  forgive  me  for 
disposing  of  a  seat  in  his  house — we  are  more  than  old 
friends."  He  placed  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  and  forced 
me  to  a  seat,  whilst  D'Amboise,  still  holding  the  letter  in 
his  hand,  looked  at  us  with  a  puzzled  air. 

"  St.  Dennis !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  What  does  this  mean, 
Bayard  ?  " 

"  It  means,  your  eminence,  that  this  is  a  gallant  gen- 
tleman who  has  been  most  basely  used ;  but  pardon  me — 
the  letter." 

He  took  the  letter  from  the  cardinal's  hands  and  read  it 
quickly,  whilst  I  sat  still,  with  emotions  in  my  heart  I  can- 
not describe,  and  D'Amboise  glanced  from  one  to  another 
with  a  half-amused,  half-curious  look  on  his  keen  face. 
Bayard  finished  his  perusal  in  a  few  seconds,  and  laying 
the  letter  on  the  table  said,  "  Nothing  could  be  better.  We 
should  be  prepared  for  action,  although  there  is  yet  plenty 
of  time.  I  wonder  how  in  the  world  the  Florentine  got 
wind  of  this?" 

"  Oh,  he  has  long  ears.  We  shall,  however,  want  a  good 
sword,  and  if  all  that  the  secretary  writes  is  true,  we  have 
got  it  in  your  friend  the  Cavaliere  Donati.  In  fact  Machi* 
avelli  suggests  him  for  the  task." 

"  My  name,  your  eminence,  is  not  Donati,"  I  here  put 

in,  "  but  Savelli.     When  misfortune  overtook  me,  I  changed 

my  name  ;  but  I  see  no  reason  for  hiding  the  truth  from  you." 

"  Quite  right,"  said  D'Amboise,  "  but  Savelli !    Is  thi£ 

the  Savelli  of  the  Arezzo  affair,  Bayard  ?  " 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  1G7 

Bayard  nodded  assent,  and  the  cardinal  continued,  turn- 
ing to  me.  u  Then,  sir,  I  have  heard  your  story,  and  you 
have  more  friends  than  you  think.  But  of  this,  later  on. 
Were  you  not  at  Fornovo  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  wondering  what  the  cardinal's  speech 
meant. 

"  del !  I  made  out  your  patent  of  St.  Lazare  myself. 
What  could  have  made  Tremouille  act  as  he  did  I  do  not 
know,  and  he  is  as  obstinate  as  a  mule.  Bayard,  I  know  all 
about  this  gentleman,  and  your  testimony  to  his  worth  con- 
vinces me  that  what  I  have  heard  is  correct.  I  could  never 
believe  the  story  myself." 

"  My  lords,  you  may  doubt ;  but  the  world " 

"  Will  yet  come  round  to  you,  cavaliere,"  said  Bayard, 
and  added,  "  Your  eminence  could  not  have  a  better  sword 
for  your  purpose  than  that  of  M.  di  Savelli  here,  provided 
he  will  accept  the  task." 

"  I  will  accept  anything  from  you,  my  lords,"  I  said. 

"  Good,"  said  D'Amboise,  "  now  let  me  tell  you  how  you 
stand.  Acting  doubtless  in  the  advice  of  friends,  Madame 
d'Entrangues  wrote  to  me  a  full  account  of  the  affair,  which 
ended  so  badly  for  you,  and  explained  fully  her  husband's 
treacherv.  This  she  begged  me  to  forward  to  Tremouille 
with  a  view  of  getting  your  sentence  altered.  As  you  have 
just  been  made  aware,  1  have  some  knowledge  of  you,  and 
it  was  a  thousand  pities  to  see  a  sword,  which  hud  served 
Prance  well,  turned  away.  I  laid  the  matter  before  the 
duke,  but  ho  replied  to  say  he  could  take  no  action.  The 
duchess,  who  is  my  cousin,  has  also  used  her  influence  but 
to  no  purpose,  for  Tremouille  stirs  bis  porridge  with  his 
own  hand,  and  dors  not  care  if  it  burn  or  not,  as  long  as  he 
stirs  it  himself.  We  could  get  the  king's  pardon  for  you, 
and  as  a  last  resource  that  might  be  done,  for  I  like  as  little 
to  be  thwarted  as  His  Grace  of  Tremouille;  but  that  will 


16g  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

raise  you  up  a  strong  enemy  in  the  duke,  and  it  will  not 
kill  the  story — you  see." 

"  I  do,  your  eminence.     How  can  I  thank  you  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  want  your  thanks,  cavaliere ;  but  France 
wants  your  sword.  Your  only  way  is  to  do  a  signal  service 
for  France,  and  after  this  the  matter  is  easy.  Tremouille 
is  generous,  and  it  would  want  but  a  little  pressure  to  make 
him  rescind  his  sentence  apparently  of  his  own  accord,  pro- 
vided you  could  do  what  I  have  said.  Strange  how  fate 
works ! " 

I  remained  silent,  and  D'Amboise  went  on :  "  Such  a 
service  it  is  possible  for  you  to  do,  and  I  will  put  it  in  your 
way.  I  cannot  at  present  give  you  details  as  they  have  to 
be  discussed  with  the  secretary,  who  will  shortly  be  in 
Eome.  This  much,  however,  I  can  tell  you ;  get  together 
a  few  good  men,  you  doubtless  can  lay  your  hands  on  them, 
and  be  ready.  You  will  no  doubt  want  funds,  but  they  will 
be  arranged  for.  In  the  meantime  you  may  consider  yourself 
as  attached  to  my  suite — a  moment,"  he  continued  as  I  was 
about  to  pour  out  my  thanks,  "  you  had  better  for  the  pres- 
ent call  yourself  Donati.  I  know  something  of  the  history 
of  Roman  families,  and  your  name  would  not  smell  well  to 
the  Chigi  and  Colonna,  and  remember  the  Tiber  is  very 
deep." 

He  touched  a  small  handbell  as  he  concluded,  and  the 
page  appeared.  "  Defaure,"  he  said,  "  send  the  Abbe  Le 
Clere  and  my  gentlemen  to  me ;  after  that  you  will  please 
inform  the  steward  that  apartments  are  to  be  prepared  at 
ouce  for  M.  Donati,  who  is  here."  The  page  bowed  and 
vanished,  and  as  I  rose  to  await  the  coming  of  the  suite,  the 
cardinal  went  on  with  a  smile,  "  Messieurs  in  the  ante-room 
are  doubtless  getting  impatient ;  we  must  make  haste  to  re- 
ceive them."  As  he  said  these  words  a  grey-haired  priest 
entered,  bearing  on  a  cushion  the  scarlet  hat  of  a  prince  of 


GEORGE  OP  AMBOISE.  1C9 

the  church,  arid  following  him,  half-a-dozen  gentlemen,  and 
grooms  of  the  chamber.  The  cardinal  rose,  and  leaning  on 
the  arm  of  Bayard,  walked  slowly  towards  the  door.  Le 
Clerc  bore  the  hat  immediately  before  him,  and  the  rest  of 
us  formed  a  queue  behind.  As  we  came  to  the  door  it  was 
flung  open  by  two  lackeys  in  a  blue  and  silver  livery,  who 
shouted  out — 

"  My  Lord  Cardinal — way — way." 

"We  passed  into  the  room  where  the  people  were  ar- 
ranged in  two  rows,  and  D'Amboise  walked  down  the  line, 
bowing  to  one,  exchanging  a  word  or  two  with  another, 
until  he  came  opposite  Corte.  The  doctor  dropped  to  his 
knee,  and  presenting  his  book,  solicited  the  cardinal's  in- 
fluence to  obtain  for  him  an  audience  with  the  Pope,  to 
whom  he  desired  to  dedicate  his  work. 

"Perte  /"  said  the  cardinal.  "  Why  not  go  to  his  emi- 
nence of  Strigonia' — books  are  more  in  his  line  than — well, 
we  shall  see — we  shall  see." 

He  passed  on,  and  the  next  group  that  caught  his  eye 
was  that  of  the  young  stranger  in  the  cloth  of  gold  and  his 
companion. 

As  the  cardinal  approached,  the  young  man  drew  a  letter 
from  his  vest,  and  presented  it  with  a  low  bow. 

D'Amboise  tore  it  open  and  glanced  over  the  contents. 
"Diable!"  he  exclaimed,  "  from  Madame  de  la  Tremouille 
herself.  See  here,  Bayard,  the  Duchess  writes,  introducing 
her  friend  the  Chevalier  St.  Armande— I  know  not  the 
house." 

"  We  are  of  Picardy,  your  eminence." 

The  voice  was  singularly  sweet  and  soft,  and  a  strange 
and  undefinable  resemblance  in  its  tones  to  some  other  voice 
I  had  heard  struck  me,  but  I  could  not  fix  upon  anything. 

"  The  Duchess  says  you  are  anxious  to  serve :  would  it 
not  have  been  easier  to  send  you  to  the  Duke?" 
12 


170  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI.; 

St.  Armande  looked  round  with  a  heightened  colour, 
and  then  replied,  speaking  in  the  same  low,  soft  tones : 

"  If  your  eminence  will  kindly  read  the  letter,  you  will 
perceive  that  my  desire  was  to  see  something  of  the  court  of 
Eome  before  joining  the  duke." 

D'Amboise  glanced  at  the  letter  again,  and  an  odd  smile 
passed  over  his  face. 

"  I  see,"  he  added,  "  the  postscript — My  dear  Chevalier, 
Madame  de  la  Tremouille's  requests  are  commands  to  me. 
If  you  will  do  me  the  honour  of  joining  my  suite,  I  shall  be 
delighted.  Permit  me  to  introduce  you  to  the  Cavaliere 
Donati,  who  is  also  a  new  friend." 

I  bowed  and  extended  my  hand,  and  St.  Armande  placed 
his  within  mine.  It  was  small  and  delicate  as  a  woman's, 
and  as  I  clasped  it  for  a  moment,  it  felt  as  chill  and  cold  as 
death. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   GIFT   OF   BAYARD. 

The  levee  lasted  some  little  time,  as  D'Amboise,  who 
was  studious  of  the  arts  of  gaining  popularity,  listened  with 
apparent  interest  to  any  one  who  chose  to  address  him,  and 
seemed  to  possess  a  wonderful  memory  for  even  the  most 
trifling  details.  This  was,  in  fact,  an  informal  reception, 
which  the  cardinal,  both  as  a  prince  of  the  Church,  and  the 
representative  of  France  at  the  Papal  Court,  held  daily,  and 
hither  came  all  the  lesser  members  of  the  French  party  in 
Rome,  and  all  those  who  hoped  to  gain  something  from  the 
prelate  by  the  simple  process  of  asking ;  for  D'Amboise  was 
known  to  be  generous  and  free,  despite  an  occasional  testi- 
ness  of  manner,  such  as  he  had  exhibited  to  Corte,  and 
shown  in  the  first  instance  to  St.  Armande. 

Corte  I  spoke  to  no  more  that  day;  but  I  saw  him, 
where  he  had  retreated  to  the  extreme  end  of  the  room,  his 
book  under  his  arm,  evidently  waiting  to  make  his  exit. 
St.  Armande  took  his  place  beside  me,  his  companion,  the 
abbe,  dropping  into  the  rear.  Once  he,  St.  Armande,  haz- 
arded a  remark,  which  I  did  not  catch,  and  therefore  did 
not  answer.  In  truth,  I  was  in  no  mood  for  speaking,  my 
mind  being  full  of  my  eventful  interview  with  the  cardinal 
and  Bayard,  and  I  was  more  than  grateful  for  the  happy 
chance  that  had  enabled  me  to  draw  my  sword  in  aid  of  the 
secretary  Machiavelli.     1   thought  too  of   Madame   D'En- 

171 


172         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

trangnes,  and  of  what  she  had  done  in  my  behalf,  and  would 
have  given  much  to  have  thanked  her  for  her  efforts,  fruit- 
less although  they  apparently  were.  But  what  struck  me 
most  of  all  was  the  fact,  that  whilst  in  my  misery  at  Flor- 
ence I  was  upbraiding  fate,  and  all  but  cursing  God,  friends 
were  at  work,  trying  to  help  and  aid  me,  and  this  taught 
me  a  lesson. 

At  last  the  levee  came  to  an  end.  The  last  petition 
monger  had  made  his  request,  D'Amboise  had  made  his 
last  pleasant  speech,  and,  turning  slowly  round,  we  made 
our  way  back,  when  the  cardinal  retired  with  Bayard  to  an 
inner  apartment,  leaving  us  to  our  own  devices.  St.  Ar- 
mande,  whose  appearance  attracted  general  attention,  was 
surrounded  by  the  gentlemen  of  the  suite,  who  asked  the 
last  news  of  the  court,  and  the  last  scandal  of  Macon,  where 
Louis  was,  holding  high  revelry,  instead  of  marching,  as  he 
should  have  done,  at  once  into  Italy,  after  the  defeat  of  Ce- 
sare  at  Fossombrone.  The  result  of  his  action  being  a 
further  truce  that  much  delayed  his  success,  and  indeed 
very  nearly  ruined  his  chances,  which  were  great  at  the 
time.  As  for  me,  I  was  left  to  myself ;  no  one  coming 
near  me  except  the  huge  hound,  which  rose  slowly,  and 
approaching,  surveyed  me  with  a  grave  interest.  Then, 
apparently  satisfied,  he  wagged  his  tail  in  approval,  and 
touched  my  hand  with  his  grim  muzzle.  I  ran  my  fingers 
over  his  shaggy  coat  with  a  caressing  motion,  and,  observ- 
ing Defaure,  the  page  whom  I  had  first  addressed  on  ar- 
rival, begged  him  to  show  me  my  apartments,  enquiring  at 
the  same  time  of  Jacopo  and  the  horses. 

"  The  house  is  full,  signore,"  he  replied,  "  but  we  have 
done  what  we  could  for  your  accommodation.  The  horses 
have  been  attended  to,  and  the  Sergeant  Jacopo  awaits  you 
in  your  rooms." 

"  Thanks,  friend,"  and  I  followed  him,  smiling  a  little 


THE  GIFT  OP  BAYARD.  173 

to  myself  at  the  French  rank  which  Jacopo  had  assumed, 
no  doubt  out  of  compliment  to  our  host,  my  new  employer. 
We  passed  out  by  the  same  entrance  by  which  I  had  come 
in,  and,  crossing  a  courtyard,  the  page  ushered  me  to  a  set 
of  apartments  in  an  outbuilding,  and  left  me  with  the  in- 
formation that  dinner  would  be  served  at  noon  for  the  car- 
dinal as  well  as  the  gentlemen  of  the  suite. 

I  found  Jacopo  in  high  glee.  He  had  set  out  all  my 
apparel,  and  was  engaged  in  burnishing  his  sword.  This 
he  put  down  as  I  came  in,  and  burst  into  speech. 

"  Blood  of  St.  John !  Excellency,  but  did  I  not  say 
luck  would  turn  ?  Yesterday  we  were  anywhere,"  and  he 
held  up  both  hands  with  the  fingers  outstretched,  "  to-day, 
behold  ! "  and  he  waved  his  arms  around  the  room,  which 
was  certainly  fitted  with  luxury,  and  struck  me  as  all  the 
more  luxurious  after  my  past  privations. 

"  The  horses,  Jacopo  ?  " 

"  Are  well  as  might  be,  signore,  and  munching  their 
corn  as  if  they  were  never  to  have  another  feed.  Does  your 
excellency  mean  to  stay  long  in  this  land  of  plenty  ?  " 

"  Not  for  long,  Jacopo.  And  harkee  !  Kemember  not 
to  address  me  by  any  other  name  than  that  of  Donati.  Do 
not  let  a  hint  of  my  real  name  escape  you,  and  avoid  bab- 
bling over  the  wine  cup." 

"  I  will  be  dumb,  excellency." 

"  A  good  deal  depends  on  your  prudence  in  this,  and 
you  must  take  care  not  to  fail.  Now  to  business,  and  keep 
your  ears  open  and  your  head  clear.  How  do  we  stand  as 
regards  funds?" 

Jacopo,  to  whom  I  had  entrusted  my  money,  pulled  out 
a  leather  purse  and  counted  the  contents. 

"  There  are  five-and-thirty  crowns  with  me,  signore,  and 
five  I  gave  your  worship  this  morning,  making  forty  in  all," 
and  he  restored  the  purse  to  its  hiding-place  under  his  belt. 


174  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  Enough  for  our  needs  at  present,  and  more  will  be 
forthcoming  soon,  for  there  is  business  in  hand." 

"  I  said  that  luck  would  turn,"  repeated  Jacopo,  his  face 
showing  joy  at  the  news. 

"  Never  mind  the  luck,  but  attend  to  me.  I  want  to 
enlist  half-a-dozen  good  men,  men  who  will  go  anywhere 
and  do  anything.  They  must  bring  their  own  arms  and 
horses,  and  I  will  engage  them  for  a  month,  and  pay  each 
man  five  crowns." 

"  That  is  at  the  rate  of  sixty  crowns  a  year  for  each  man. 
We  could  enlist  half  Rome  for  that." 

"  Probably,  but  it  isn't  half  Home,  only  half-a-dozen  men 
I  want." 

"  Very  true,  your  worship,  and  I  will  doubtless  be  able 
to  find  them  ;  but,  excellency " 

«  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Six  men  at  five  crowns  each  makes  thirty  crowns, 
and " 

"  Did  I  not  say  more  will  be  forthcoming  ?  You  need 
not  pay  them  in  advance.  Two  crowns  each  on  enlisting, 
and  the  remainder  on  completion  of  the  task.  Will  that 
do?" 

"  It  is  enough  surely." 

"  Very  well,  then  you  may  set  about  this  at  once,  and  re- 
member that  they  should  be  lodged  close  at  hand,  and  be 
ready  to  go  anywhere  at  a  moment's  notice." 

"  Excellency." 

Whilst  this  conversation  was  going  on  I  had  effected  such 
change  in  my  attire  as  was  possible,  resolving  to  take  the  first 
opportunity  the  following  day  to  summon  a  tailor  and  give 
him  orders  for  things  for  which  I  stood  in  need.  Jacopo 
was  just  about  to  depart  when  Defaure,  the  page,  appeared, 
bearing  with  him  a  note  and  a  ruleau,  which  he  said  was 
from  his  eminence.     These  he  left  with  me  and  retired,  say- 


THE  GIFT  OP  BAYARD.  175 

ing  there  was  no  answer.  The  note  was  brief,  merely  hop- 
ing I  was  in  comfort,  and  sending  me  in  the  ruleau  a  hun- 
dred crowns,  with  the  intimation  that  if  I  needed  them  an- 
other hundred  was  ready  for  mo.  The  sum,  however,  was 
more  than  ample,  and  giving  Jacopo  further  directions  to 
engage  a  couple  of  lackeys  I  sent  him  away,  rejoicing  at  my 
good  fortune,  with  a  present  of  ten  crowns  for  himself, 
which  the  honest  fellow  at  first  refused  to  take,  and  only  ac- 
cepted on  my  pressing  the  sum  on  him. 

This  being  done  there  was  nothing  left  for  me  but  to 
await  the  dinner  hour,  and  I  strolled  down  to  the  stables  to 
look  at  the  horses,  which  were  in  truth  in  such  luxury  as 
perhaps  the  poor  beasts  had  never  enjoyed.  A  groom  of 
the  cardinal's  establishment  had  attended  to  them,  and  I 
slipped  a  piece  of  silver  into  his  hand  for  his  trouble.  lie 
bit  this  to  test  whether  it  was  genuine  or  not,  and  then  set- 
tled himself  on  a  heap  of  hay  to  mend  some  saddlery. 

I  left  him  to  his  occupation,  and,  with  a  parting  caress 
to  my  beasts,  moved  further  on  to  look  at  the  other  animals. 
And  here,  meeting  the  head  groom,  I  had  some  conversation 
with  him,  admiring  the  cardinal's  stud. 

"  Yes,  excellency,"  he  said,  "  they  are  good  horses,  nota- 
bly the  two  barbs  which  the  Soldan  Djem  presented  to  his 
eminence,  but  there  are  other  two  now  in  our  stables,  be- 
longing to  the  Sieur  de  Bayard,  the  like  of  which  I  have 
never  seen.  They  are  this  way,  excellency,  if  you  will  but 
accompany  me." 

I  readily  assented,  and  passing  by  the  barbs,  whose  slight 
delicate  frames  belied  their  powers  of  speed  and  endurance, 
we  came  to  a  couple  of  stalls,  in  which  there  were  a  pair  of 
war-horses  that  fully  justified  the  head  groom's  praise.  They 
were  both  English,  and  I  recognised  the  breed,  as  Hawk- 
wood  had  brought  three  or  four  with  him  from  Britain,  say- 
ing, and  with  truth,  that  they  were  the  only  animals  that 


176  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

could  ever  carry  him  when  in  full  mail.  But  the  two  be- 
fore me  in  the  stables  were  as  superior  to  Hawkwood's  as  a 
barb  is  to  a  mule.  One  was  the  great  bay  Bayard  was  riding 
on  the  day  of  my  trial,  when  he  accompanied  the  duke  and 
his  staff  back  to  Arezzo.  The  other  was  a  blue  roan,  whose 
colour  did  not  show  off  his  size  to  advantage,  but  whose 
broad  chest,  sloping  shoulders,  and  lean  flanks  marked  his 
power.  His  eyes  were  mild  and  soft,  yet  full  of  fire,  and  his 
small  head  was  set  like  that  of  a  stag  upon  his  strong  neck. 
Two  grooms,  bearing  on  their  liveries  the  arms  of  the  house 
of  Terrail,  of  which  the  Seigneur  de  Bayard  was  chief,  were 
in  attendance,  and  set  to  work  with  a  somewhat  unnecessary 
zeal  on  our  appearance  to  polish  the  coats  of  their  charges 
which  already  shone  like  satin.  Whilst  engaged  in  admir- 
ing these  splendid  animals,  I  heard  the  deep  bay  of  the 
hound  behind  me,  and  turning,  saw  Bayard  himself  who 
had  come  to  visit  his  favourites.  I  complimented  him  on 
the  possession  of  two  such  steeds,  as  who  would  not  have 
done,  and  Bayard  said — 

"  Yes,  they  are  fine  animals,  truly  the  finest  I  have  ever 
seen,  except  perhaps  the  one-eyed  Savoy,  who  was  also  of  the 
same  breed  ;  and  yet  I  am  not  sure,"  and  he  ran  his  eyes 
over  the  horses.  "  They  were  given  to  me,  along  with  Bran 
here  " — he  touched  the  head  of  the  hound — "  by  His  Majes- 
ty, Henry  of  England,  when  I  was  taken  prisoner  in  the 
English  War," 

"A  noble  gift." 

"Yes — from  a  noble  prince.  And  you  really  admire 
them,  cavaliere  ?  " 

"  Yes — and  I  knew  Savoy  too,  and  doubt  if  he  was  better." 

"  What  can  knight  want  more  ?  A  good  horse,  a  good 
hound," — and  his  face  saddened  a  little — "  a  true  love. 
Pardieu !  but  I  must  see  to  that  last.  My  castle  on  the 
Garonne  needs  a  chatelaine." 


THE  GIFT  OP  BAYARD.  177 

I  said  nothing,  knowing  of  the  one  great  sorrow  of  his 
life,  which  he  bore  so  bravely,  and  which  I  knew  had  bitten 
to  his  heart  for  all  his  gay  words. 

"  Castor  and  Pollux  I  call  them,"  he  said,  indicating  the 
horses  with  a  slight  gesture.  "  Not  that  they  are  alike,  ex- 
cept in  speed  and  courage  ;  but  that  they  are  both  supposed 
to  have  been  born  the  same  day,  and  have  never  been  sepa- 
rated. The  best  of  friends  must,  however,  part,  and  a  knight 
wants  no  more  than  one  horse ;  so,  cavaliere,  if  you  will  ac- 
cept Castor,  the  blue  roan  there,  you  will  find  that  he  will 
never  fail  you." 

I  could  hardly  speak  for  the  moment,  and  at  first  stoutly 
refused  to  take  so  valuable  a  gift ;  but  Bayard  would  have 
no  denial,  and  the  short  of  it  was  that  Castor  was  led  into 
one  of  the  stalls  reserved  for  me. 

To  say  that  I  was  grateful  would  be  to  say  very  little ; 
but  I  will  merely  add  here  that  the  gift  itself  was  only 
equalled  by  the  manner  of  the  giver.  I  accompanied  Bay- 
ard into  the  garden,  which  lay  to  the  west  of  the  palace,  and 
in  course  of  conversation  told  him  that  I  had  received  the 
sum  sent  by  D'Amboise,  and  of  the  steps  I  had  taken  to  get 
together  a  few  men,  and  assured  him  that  whatever  the  task 
was  that  I  was  to  be  set  to  perforin,  nothing  but  death  itself 
would  cut  short  my  endeavour.  Our  talk  then  drifted  to 
other  matters,  and  he  gave  me  some  information  of  interest 
concerning  Madame  D'Entrangucs.  Itappearcd  that  IVEn- 
trangues,  who  had  a  friend  at  court  in  his  kinsman,  Etienne 
de  Vesci,  the  seneschal  of  Bcaucaire,  had  forwarded  a  strong 
petition  against  Tremouille's  decision  regarding  himself,  and 
a  prayer  that  the  king  would  restore  him  to  his  position,  and 
compel  Madame  D'Entrangucs  to  return  to  him.  As  if  he 
himself  had  not  abandoned  her  !  Owing  to  his  influence 
with  Cesare  he  had  moreover  obtained  an  order  from  Alex- 
ander denying  madame  the  refuge  of  a  convent.    Louis  had, 


178         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

however,  declined  to  interfere  with  Tremouille's  decision, 
but  had  ordered  madame  to  leave  the  court  and  return  to 
her  husband.  Fearing  that  force  would  be  resorted  to  in 
order  to  compel  her  to  return  to  D'Entrangues  she  had  fled 
from  the  protection  of  the  Duchesse  de  la  Tremouille,  who 
denied  all  knowledge  of  her  movements,  and  the  matter 
stood  there.  By  this  time  it  was  almost  approaching  the 
dinner  hour,  and  we  separated,  Bayard,  followed  close  at  his 
heels  by  Bran,  going  to  seek  the  cardinal,  and  I  returning 
to  my  chamber,  where  I  found  Jacopo  who  had  just  come 
back.  He  had  been  to  the  stables  on  his  way  up,  and  was 
loud  in  his  praise  of  Castor. 

"  They  say  he  is  fleet  as  the  wind,  excellency,  and  he  is 
as  gentle  as  a  lambkin.  It  is  a  glorious  steed,  and  a  princely 
gift." 

"  It  is  so ;  but  what  success  have  you  had  ?  " 

"  None  as  yet  about  the  swords,  signore ;  there  has  not 
been  time ;  but  I  have  engaged  a  couple  of  grooms  and  a 
lackey,  and  ordered  plain  liveries  for  them.  The  grooms 
are  even  now  with  the  horses,  and  the  lackey  will  be  here 
to-morrow." 

"  Very  well,  there  is  time  enough.  Basta !  There  go 
the  trumpets.     His  eminence  must  be  served." 

We  made  our  way  to  the  dining-hall,  entering  it  almost 
at  the  same  time  as  the  cardinal,  his  guests,  and  the  rest  of 
the  suite.  At  the  high  table  on  the  dais  sat  the  cardinal, 
with  Bayard,  another  prince  of  the  church  whom  I  after- 
wards found  out  was  the  Cardinal  of  Strigonia,  a  scion  of  the 
house  of  Este,  and  a  tall,  sombre-looking  man,  with  high 
aquiline  features,  and  a  complexion  almost  as  dark  as  a 
Moor's.  He  was  plainly  and  simply  dressed,  wearing  a  light 
steel  corselet  over  his  jerkin,  and  round  his  neck  the  ribbon 
of  St.  James  of  Compostella,  whilst  the  order  itself,  a  red 
enamel  sword  with  a  fleur-de-lis  hilt,  set  in  an  oval  white 


THE  GIFT  OF  BAYARD.  179 

enamel  medallion  with  a  red  border,  studded  with  brilliants, 
flashed  at  his  throat.  His  short,  closely-cropped  hair  was 
white  as  snow,  but  the  long  moustache  which  dropped  over 
his  mouth  and  short,  pointed  beard,  was  untouched  by  a 
streak  of  grey.  Altogether  a  remarkable  man,  one  whom 
no  one  could  pass  by  without  looking  at  twice ;  and  in  me 
he  excited  the  greatest  interest,  for  he  was  none  other  than 
Ganalvo  de  Cordova,  the  "Great  Captain,"  and  the  most 
skilful  general  of  the  age.  He  had  only  a  few  weeks  before 
driven  Marshal  d'Aubigny  out  of  Calabria,  and  was  march- 
ing straight  on  against  Tremouille,  when  the  cessation  of 
hostilities  stopped  his  plans,  and  suddenly  resigning  his 
command  he  had  come  to  Eome,  for  what  purpose  no  one 
knew,  although  it  was  said  that  his  resignation  and  differ- 
ence with  the  Spanish  Court  was  but  a  blind. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  I  had  now  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
together,  seated  side  by  side,  the  dark  and  stern  grandee  of 
Spain,  as  able  as  he  was  cruel,  as  vindictive  as  he  was  brave ; 
and  the  brilliant  and  polished  Bayard,  who  seemed  to  have 
gathered  in  his  person  all  the  noblest  qualities  of  knight- 
hood, and  on  the  white  shield  of  whose  honour  there  was 
never  a  stain.  And  how  different  was  the  fate  of  these  two 
men !  De  Cordova,  after  holding  the  highest  offices,  after 
being  practically  a  king,  after  shedding  an  imperishable 
glory  on  his  country  by  his  victories,  and  staining  her  mem- 
ory indelibly  by  his  perfidy,  died  at  last,  with  all  his  fine 
spun  webs  broken.  And  Bayard — old  as  I  am,  my  eves 
grow  moist  when  I  think  of  that  glorious  day  at  the  passage 
of  the  Sesia,  when,  covered  with  wounds,  overborne  by  num- 
bers, and  fighting  to  the  last  against  hopeless  odds,  Pierre 
du  Terrail  gave  back  his  soul  to  God.  But  long  years  were 
to  pass  before  this  happened,  and  Bayard  was  at  present  in 
the  hey-dey  of  his  career. 

The  table  for  the  gentlemen  of  the  suite  was  placed  just 


180  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLi. 

below  the  dais,  and  extending  further  down  the  room 
were  other  tables,  for  all  who  could  obtain  seats  thereat, 
whilst  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  room  was  a  high  stand, 
whence  any  one  was  at  liberty  to  bear  away  as  much 
of  a  meal  as  he  could  carry  off  on  the  point  of  his  dag- 
ger. 

Estimating  roughly,  I  should  say  that  fully  three  hun- 
dred persons  dined  daily,  in  this  manner,  with  D'Amboise, 
and  this  hospitality,  which  he  exercised  in  the  manner  of  a 
French  feudal  noble,  was  the  subject  of  much  amusement 
at  the  Papal  Court,  where  they  prided  themselves  on  a  more 
refined  and  delicate  style  of  living.  At  any  rate,  all  that 
was  here  was  safe  to  touch,  and  no  one  had  need  to  fear 
that  a  dinner  at  the  Palazzo  Corneto  with  the  Cardinal  of 
Rouen  was  a  prelude  to  a  supper  with  St.  Peter  in  heaven. 
His  eminence,  who  was  a  notable  trencherman,  beamed 
down  from  his  high  seat  on  us  all,  and  tried  valiantly  to 
assay  conclusions  with  the  Cardinal  of  Strigonia ;  but  was 
compelled  at  last  to  own  himself  beaten,  for  Ippolyte  d'Este 
was  one  in  a  thousand  at  table ;  in  fact,  this  jovial  prelate 
ended  his  days  suddenly,  after  a  prodigious  dinner,  which 
began  at  eleven  in  the  morning  and  ended  at  four  in  the 
afternoon,  concluding  with  so  light  a  dainty  as  a  dish  of 
roasted  cray-fish,  washed  down  with  a  bottle  of  vernaccia, 
a  wine  of  which  he  was  inordinately  fond.  At  our  own 
table,  there  were  about  a  dozen  or  more,  and  I  found  my- 
self seated  next  to  St.  Armande,  whilst  opposite  to  me  was 
Le  Clerc,  the  cardinal's  chaplain,  and  next  to  him  an  officer 
of  the  Papal  Guards,  a  Spaniard,  who  spoke  little  and  ate 
much.  St.  Armande  passed  by  the  wine,  drinking  only 
water,  and  in  reply  to  a  question  of  mine  answered  that  he 
was  under  a  vow. 

"We  can  absolve  you  here  easily,  chevalier,"  said  Le 
Clerc,  who  overheard  the  remark,  "  here  is  some  Orvieto 


THE  GIFT  OF  BAYARD.  181 

which  I  can  recommend,"  and  he  pushed  the  flask  towards 
St.  Armande. 

The  latter,  however,  would  not  be  tempted,  and  Le  Clerc 
shook  his  head. 

"A  wilful  man  must  have  his  way,  chevalier;  but  that 
Orvieto  was  a  present  from  Pierrot,  Our  Lord's  most  favoured 
servant." 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  Spaniard  ;  "  then  I  can  safely  say  it 
is  the  last  present  you  will  receive  from  Don  Pierrot." 

"How  so?" 

"  Cesare  arrived  last  night,  very  suddenly,  witli  two  men 
only,  they  say.  He  has  not,  however,  yet  seen  His  Holi- 
ness— although  he  is  in  the  Vatican." 

Le  Clerc  remained  silent,  but  St.  Armande  asked  in  his 
low  voice — 

"  I  do  not  follow,  sir.  Could  you  not  explain  ?  Unless 
I  ask  too  much.     You  see  I  am  a  stranger  to  Rome." 

The  Spaniard  smiled  grimly. 

"  It  means,  chevalier,  that  Pierrot  was  found  this  morn- 
ing with  a  dagger  sticking  up  to  the  hilt  in  his  heart." 

St.  Armande  turned  pale,  and  Le  Clerc  asked  in  a  low 
tone — 

"  Are  you  sure  of  this  ?     When  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"  As  sure  as  I  sit  here.  It  happened  an  hour  or  so  after 
Cesare's  coming.  The  Pope  is  said  to  be  overcome  with 
grief,"  and  the  lips  of  Don  Diego  de  Leyva  took  a  sarcastic 
curve. 

"  Great  heavens  ! "  said  Le  Clerc.     "  Poor  Pierrot ! " 

The  chaplain  rose  from  his  seat  with  a  slight  apology, 
and  approaching  DAmboise,  leaned  over  him  and  whis- 
pered a  few  words  in  his  ear.  The  cardinal  nodded  with 
apparent  unconcern,  and  Le  Clerc  came  back ;  but  watching 
DAmboise  narrowly,  I  saw  that  although  he  still  appeared 
to  laugh  and  jest,  his  eyes  were  grave  and  his  brow  troubled. 


182  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

In  fact,  shortly  afterwards,  the  high  table  broke  up,  and  we 
followed  suit  very  soon.  Despite  his  effeminate  appearance, 
I  had  begun  to  take  a  liking  to  St.  Armande,  and  as  the 
next  few  hours  were  at  our  disposal,  I  invited  him  to  ride 
out  with  me,  as  I  had  a  mind  to  try  Castor's  paces.  This, 
however,  he  declined,  with  the  somewhat  shy  air  that  marked 
his  manner,  and  leaving  him  to  his  devices,  I  ordered  Castor 
to  be  saddled  and  took  him  out.  When  I  returned,  about 
five  in  the  afternoon,  I  felt  that  all  that  had  been  said  of  the 
generous  beast  I  rode,  underrated  his  value,  and  that  I  pos- 
sessed a  matchless  steed,  who  was  fit  to  run  for  a  kingdom. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

FRIEND   OK   FOE. 

For  the  next  few  days  the  routine  of  my  life  was  exactly 
the  same,  the  morning  attendance  at  the  cardinal's  levee, 
the  daily  dinner  in  public,  and  long  rides  with  Castor  in  the 
afternoons,  in  which  I  was  sometimes  accompanied  by  St. 
Armande ;  but  this  was  not  always  possible,  as  he  was  close- 
ly attached  to  D'Amboise's  person.  D'Amboise  frequently 
asked  me  to  accompany  him  to  the  Vatican ;  but  up  to  now 
I  had  begged  permission  to  decline  his  invitation,  on  the 
plea  that,  with  the  business  before  me,  it  would  perhaps  be 
well  for  me  to  live  as  much  in  retreat  as  possible.  The  car- 
dinal said,  with  that  good-tempered  laugh  of  his,  which  en- 
tirely belied  his  astute  scheming  nature,  that  as  I  was  as  yet 
ignorant  of  my  task,  I  need  not  be  so  careful.  I  replied  to 
his  eminence,  that  it  was  just  becauso  I  was  in  the  dark, 
that  I  was  so  circumspect,  and  he  was  then  good  enough  to 
agree  with  me.  I  Avas,  however,  naturally  anxious  to  see 
something  of  the  Vatican,  and  one  of  my  reasons  for  re- 
fusing, besides  that  of  prudence,  was  that  I  was  not  suffici- 
ently well  equipped.  This,  however,  with  the  funds  at  my 
disposal,  was  soon  mended,  but  from  some  cause  or  other,  I 
had  up  to  now  not  gone.  Jacopo  was  not  so  successful  as 
he  anticipated  he  would  be,  in  raising  his  men.  It  was, 
above  all,  necessary  to  have  them  trustworthy,  and  it  was 
difficult  to  get  men  of  this  class  for  a  merely  temporary  em- 

183 


184  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

ployment  such  as  I  offered.  At  last  the  matter  was  arranged, 
and  by  the  end  of  the  week  I  mustered  a  body  of  six  stout 
fellows,  all  of  them  fairly  well  mounted,  and  what  was 
better,  all  of  them  trained  soldiers.  I  had  them  lodged 
near  the  Eipetta,  and  the  cardinal's  table  afforded  them  a 
free  dinner,  of  which  they  were  not  slow  to  take  advantage. 
In  order  to  keep  them  employed,  I  took  them  out  with  me 
every  afternoon,  dismissing  them  upon  my  return,  with 
orders  to  join  the  nightly  escort  of  the  cardinal  and  Bayard, 
to  and  from  the  Vatican.  I  saw  a  good  deal  of  Bayard,  and 
at  times  expressed  myself  with  impatience  at  being  kept  to 
cool  my  heels.  He  told  me  he  was  not  at  liberty  to  mention 
the  details  of  the  business  on  which  I  was  to  be  employed, 
and  advised  me  to  bide  my  time  with  a  patient  heart. 
Amongst  other  matters  we  spoke  of  was  the  murder  of 
Pierrot,  and  Bayard  told  me  that  Cesare  Borgia  had  left 
Rome  the  next  day  without  seeing  his  father,  the  Pope,  and 
that  he  was  crushing  out  completely  the  stand  made  against 
him  by  my  old  chief  Vitelli  of  Citta  del  Castello,  and  others. 

I  took  Bayard's  advice  and  held  patience  by  the  tail, 
although  I  longed  for  work  to  begin.  My  men  were  in 
good  fettle.  They  had  enough  work  to  keep  them  out  of 
mischief,  the  pay  was  good,  they  had  sufficient  leisure  for 
amusement,  and  there  was  therefore  no  grumbling. 

I  used  to  sup  alone  in  my  rooms,  occasionally  asking  St. 
Armande  to  join  me ;  and  after  supper  we  diced  together 
for  an  hour  or  so,  for  very  small  points.  He  was  an  infant 
at  the  game,  and  I  taught  him  a  good  deal,  so  much  so, 
that  after  a  little  practice,  for  he  was  very  quick  with  his 
wrist,  he  mastered  my  favourite  throw,  and  one  evening 
after  returning  from  the  Vatican,  he  knocked  me  up  in  my 
rooms,  and  flung  on  the  table  a  bag  of  gold  pieces. 

"  Three  hundred  of  them,  cavaliere  !  "  he  said,  "  I  won 
them  from  Fabrizio  Colonna,  who  is  looking  green  with 


FRIEND  OR  FOE.  185 

rage.  If  your  purse  is  running  short,  they  are  at  your  serv- 
ice. Ha !  I  see  a  flask  of  Orvieto — may  I  ?  "  and  he  poured 
himself  out  a  goblet,  at  which  he  began  to  sip,  in  apparent 
defiance  of  his  vow. 

"  The  devil ! "  I  exclaimed,  "  but  you  are  flying  at  high 
stakes,  chevalier.  Your  Pieard  estates  must  be  broad. 
Thanks  all  the  same  for  your  offer,  but  my  purse  is  as  full 
as  I  want  it  at  present." 

He  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  with  a  pink  flush  on  his 
delicate  features. 

"  I  meant  no  offence,  cavaliere ;  but  what  is  the  use  of 
money  unless  one  can  share  it  with  a  friend?" 

"  There  was  no  offence  taken,  St.  Armande,"  I  replied, 
"  and  if  you  will  take  none,  I  would  like  to  have  my  say  at 
you." 

He  looped  one  finger  in  his  golden  moustache,  and 
showed  his  even  teeth  in  his  smile,  as  he  said, 

"  Speak  on." 

"  Then,  chevalier,  it  seems  to  me  a  thousand  pities  that 
a  young  man  like  you  should  waste  your  time  here,  as  you 
appear  to  be  doing.  I  understood  you  to  say  you  had  never 
seen  a  sword  drawn  in  earnest  as  yet — and  your  moustache 
is  grown  !  Take  my  advice.  Play  no  more  for  gold  pieces 
with  Colonna  or  anyone  else.  Mount  your  horse,  and  join 
Tremouille  at  once." 

"  Ah  !  that  is  good,"  he  said  ;  "  and  why  does  the  grave 
and  reverend  Cavaliere  Donati  waste  his  time  here,  hanging 
at  the  heels  of  a  churchman,  and  moping  o'  nights  like  an 
owl  on  a  ruined  wall,  instead  of  stirring  the  times  himself 
with  the  point  of  his  sword  ?" 

With  any  other  I  would  have  been  annoyed ;  with  the 

youth  before  me  I  was  slightly  amused,  and  at  the  same 

time  a  trifle  surprised.     Hitherto  he  had  appeared  so  shy 

and  reserved,  and  now,  of  a  sudden,  he  had  thrown  this  off, 
13 


18g  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  had  put  on  an  air  which  I  had  not  noticed  before,  but 
which  became  him  vastly.  I  set  it  down  to  the  fact  that 
perhaps  he  was  slightly  warmed  with  wine,  having  appar- 
ently absolved  himself  from  his  vow ;  although  of  course  I 
did  not  appear  to  notice  this  last,  as  he  was  in  a  manner  my 
guest.     I  therefore  made  reply. 

"  My  reasons  for  my  action,  chevalier,  are  good,  and 
when  the  time  comes  I  promise  you  I  shall  not  be  found 
sleeping." 

The  gentle  reproof  in  my  words  seemed  to  bring  him 
back  to  his  old  self,  for  by  the  light  of  the  candles  I  ob- 
served him  flush  scarlet,  and  that  curious  look  which  re- 
called a  strange  resemblance  to  some  one  I  knew,  but  could 
not  remember,  came  over  his  features.  I  began  to  relent  as 
I  saw  his  confusion,  almost  as  soon  as  I  had  spoken ;  and 
added,  "  I  may  say  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant — that  it 
is  a  matter  of  days  only." 

"  Take  me  with  you." 

He  asked  this  almost  in  a  tone  of  entreaty,  keeping  his 
eyes  away  from  me,  however,  and  nervously  twisting  at  his 
moustache. 

"  And  your  secretary,  as  you  call  him,  the  abbe  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  will  come  too,  and  we  could  confess  to 
him." 

I  hesitated  for  a  second,  and  then  made  answer. 

"  Very  well.  Only  you  must  be  prepared  to  start  at  a 
moment's  notice,  and  there  will  probably  be  hard  riding 
and  hard  fighting,  and  there  is  yet  another  thing." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  You  must  come  as  a  simple  volunteer,  and  must  make 
no  enquiry  as  to  what  the  business  is  on  which  I  am  en- 
gaged. I  risk  my  life  for  my  own  purposes ;  if  you  wish  to 
do  likewise  you  are  welcome  to  join  me,  on  the  condition  I 
have  just  stated." 


FRIEND  OR  FOE.  187 

"  I  accept  with  pleasure." 

"  Then  that  is  settled,  and  I  have  a  new  comrade." 

"  Hurrah !  "  and  he  raised  his  glass  to  his  lips. 

After  that  he  retired,  it  being  late.  I  saw  him  across 
the  courtyard  as  far  as  his  apartments,  and  then  returning 
to  my  rooms,  unconsciously  took  the  chair  St.  Armande 
had  vacated.  The  goblet  of  wine  he  had  filled  was  before 
me,  and  I  idly  lifted  it  in  my  hand.  It  was  barely  touched. 
In  fact  he  could  but  have  tasted  a  few  drops  only. 

Like  lightning  a  suspicion  of  treachery  came  on  me. 
The  man  had  been  pretending  to  drink.  With  what  ob- 
ject ?  I  could  not  make  out.  Was  the  offer  of  the  money 
a  blind  ?  Perhaps  so,  and  if  then  ?  I  had  been  a  fool  to 
agree  to  his  joining  me,  with  that  sour-looking  abbe  of  his. 
Yes,  I  had  been  a  fool,  but  it  was  lucky  I  discovered  my 
own  folly  in  time.  I  should  keep  my  eyes  on  this  silken 
diplomat,  and  if  necessary  pick  a  quarrel  with  him,  and 
run  him  through.  Somehow  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  this, 
however ;  but  determined  to  get  rid  of  him  in  one  way  or 
the  other.  I  would  allow  nothing  to  stand  between  me  and 
the  road  back  to  honour.  So  musing  I  sat  for  a  half-hour 
or  so,  and  was  startled  by  Jacopo's  sudden  entry,  so  lost  was 
I  in  thought.  He  came  and  stood,  bolt  upright,  next  to  my 
chair,  without  saying  a  word.  I  knew  from  this  that  he 
had  some  request  to  make,  some  favour  to  ask,  as  otherwise 
he  would  not  have  hesitated  to  make  play  with  his  tongue 
at  once. 

"What  is  it  Jacopo?" 

He  shifted  uneasily  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  and  then 
replied — 

"  Your  excellency,  I  want  leave." 

"Leave!  What  for?  You  are  not  going  to  be  mar- 
ried, are  you  ?  " 

"Heaven  and  the  saints  forbid,  excellency.    No — no — 


188  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

it  is  not  that,  it  is  only  leave  for  the  day  I  want,  and  also 
for  our  men." 

"  The  devil !     What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Only  a  little  dinner,  excellency,  which  I  am  giving." 

"And  wasting  those  crowns  you  got  the  other  day. 
Well,  that  is  your  affair,  not  mine.  Yes,  you  can  have  the 
leave." 

"  A  hundred  thanks,  excellency." 

"  Mind  you,  there  must  be  no  brawling,  no  trouble." 

"  Excellency." 

"  Well,  good  night,  and  remember  what  I  say.  Here, 
you  might  remove  this  wine-cup  as  you  go." 

"  Good-night,  signore,"  and  Jacopo,  lifting  the  goblet, 
went  out.  The  night  being  fairly  warm,  I  kept  my  door 
open,  and  as  he  passed  into  the  portico,  I  saw  him  drain  the 
contents  of  the  goblet  with  a  gulp,  and  heard  him  draw  his 
lips  together  with  a  smack  of  approval,  and  march  off  to  his 
quarters,  chuckling  at  something  or  other. 

The  following  afternoon  I  rode  out  with  Bayard  and 
half-a-dozen  others.  It  was  a  hawking  party,  and  there  was 
a  long  gallop  to  our  point  of  oj)eration,  which  was  to  begin 
a  little  way  beyond  Ponte  Molle.  In  a  short  time  we  started 
a  noble  heron,  and  Bayard  flinging  his  peregrine  into  the 
air,  we  rode  after  the  birds.  It  was  a  glorious  ride,  and 
Castor  and  Pollux  far  outstripped  the  others,  so  much  so 
that  when  we  drew  rein  beside  the  stricken  heron,  and  Bay- 
ard slipped  the  hood  on  to  his  hawk,  our  companions  were 
not  in  sight.  This,  however,  troubled  us  little,  and  turning 
rein  we  made  backwards.  On  our  way  back  I  seized  the 
opportunity  to  mention  to  Bayard  that  St.  Armande  had 
volunteered  to  aid  me  in  my  task,  and  that  I  had  accepted 
his  offer. 

"  It  will  do  him  good,"  he  said ;  "  he  seems  a  noble  youth, 
who  has  been  tied  too  long  to  apron-strings." 


FRIEND  OR  FOE.  189 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  I  said ;  "  he  strikes  me  as  being 
effeminate  to  a  degree — and  yet  I  cannot  help  liking  him." 

"  He  has  a  wonderful  pure  mind,"  said  Bayard ;  "  the 
boy,  for  he  is  no  less,  is  as  innocent  as  a  child." 

"  The  Vatican  will  not  improve  him  then,  especially  if 
he  plays  for  gold  crowns  with  Colonna." 

"  Plays  for  gold  crowns  ! "  exclaimed  Bayard ;  "  you  are 
surely  mistaken,  cavaliere." 

"  Did  he  not  do  so  last  night,  my  lord  ?  I  understood 
he  won  three  hundred  off  Fabrizio  ?  " 

"  Impossible,"  said  Bayard,  "  I  was  at  the  Vatican  last 
night,  and  the  party  in  which  Colonna  was  playing  consist- 
ed of  Strigonia,  Monsignore  Florido,  our  Lord  the  Pope, 
and  Colonna  himself — no  more.  St.  Armande  was  standing 
hard  at  hand  for  some  little  time,  but  never  took  a  wager. 
In  fact,  he  passed  most  of  the  evening  with  Giulia  Bella, 
thrumming  on  a  lute,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  his  holi- 
ness.    I  should  say  it  would  be  well  for  him  to  quit  Eome." 

"  Then  I  am  wrong,"  I  said ;  "  yes,  I  fancy  it  would  be 
well  for  him  to  quit  Eome." 

By  this  time  the  others  came  up,  and  we  said  no  more. 
As  we  went  back  to  Eome,  I  dropped  a  little  behind,  reflect- 
ing on  what  Bayard  had  told  me.  It  was  certain  that  St. 
Armande  had  lied  to  me,  and  I  began  to  feel  sure  he  had 
done  this  not  for  my  good.  In  short,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  this  innocent  looking  boy,  with  his  shy  retiring  man- 
ners and  apparent  want  of  knowledge  of  the  world,  was 
nothing  more  or  less  than  an  accomplished  actor.  Then 
again  he  was  a  Frenchman,  and  how  came  he,  obviously 
fresh  from  France,  to  become  an  agent  of  the  Medici  plot- 
ters, for  so  I  put  him  down  to  be?  There  were  the  letters 
from  Madame  de  la  Tremouille,  his  introductions  were  un- 
impeachable, the  cardinal  believed  in  him — the  whole  thing 
was  contradictory.    Above  all,  there  was  my  strong  personal 


190  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

liking  for  St.  Armancle.  In  his  presence  I  never  felt  that 
secret  warning  which  all  men  feel  when  they  are  with  an 
enemy.  I  have  never  known  it  fail  with  me,  and  with  St. 
Armande  there  was  no  such  warning,  no  such  silent  signal 
which  goes  straight  from  soul  to  soul.  On  the  contrary,  I 
felt  he  was  almost  more  than  friendly  towards  me,  and  I 
felt,  in  my  turn  towards  him,  desjnte  our  short  acquaint- 
ance, very  nearly  the  same  protective  feeling  that  one  has 
towards  a  defenceless  child.  As  may  be  imagined,  I  was  in 
no  very  comfortable  frame  of  mind  about  this,  and  rode 
back  silently,  revolving  the  point.  When  we  reached  the 
palace,  almost  the  first  person  I  met  was  St.  Armande,  and 
as  I  dismounted  he  came  up  to  me  with  a  cordial  greeting 
and  asked — 

"  Well,  cavaliere,  good  sport  I  trust  ?  " 

"  Very,"  I  replied  shortly,  and  then  looked  him  straight 
in  the  face  as  I  added,  "  Do  you  intend  to  give  the  Colonna 
his  revenge  to-night  ?  " 

Something  in  my  tone  caught  him,  he  met  my  eyes  for 
a  moment,  then  dropped  his  gaze,  and  looked  towards  the 
ground.  We  stood  thus  before  each  other  for  a  little  time 
before  he  replied,  and  his  voice  was  almost  inaudible. 

"  Perhaps — I  am  not  sure,"  he  added  with  an  effort. 

I  was  standing,  holding  Castor's  reins ;  but  as  he  spoke 
I  handed  the  horse  over  to  a  groom,  and,  linking  my  arm 
in  St.  Armande's,  said  loudly,  and  with  a  tone  of  affected 
gaiety : 

"  You  missed  a  great  ride,  chevalier — come  take  a  turn 
with  me  in  the  garden." 

He  yielded  passively,  and  in  a  few  steps  we  had  crossed 
the  courtyard  and  were  in  a  secluded  portion  of  the  palace 
gardens  that  was  called  the  Lemon  Walk.  This  I  may  add 
was  subsequently  improved  out  of  existence  by  the  archi- 
tect, in  the  course  of  completion  of  the  palace  and  grounds. 


FRIEND  OR  FOE.  191 

When  we  reached  this  spot  I  unslipped  my  arm,  and  turn- 
ing round  faced  St.  Armando,  having  resolved  to  end  my 
suspicions. 

"  See  here,  chevalier,"  I  said,  "  I  am  playing  for  heavy 
stakes,  I  am  walking  on  dangerous  ground,  and  must  know 
where  I  put  my  feet ;  will  you  answer  a  plain  question,  are 
you  friend  or  foe  ?  " 

He  looked  round  him  in  a  helpless  sort  of  way,  his  colour 
coming  and  going,  but  said  nothing.  "Was  it  possible  the 
man  was  a  coward? 

"  If  you  do  not  reply,"  I  said,  "  I  will  take  the  risk,  and 
treat  you  as  an  enemy,  do  you  hear  ?  you  lied  to  me  when 
you  said  last  night  you  had  played  at  the  Vatican  with 
Colonna — now  draw."  I  pulled  out  my  weapon,  and  stood 
before  him,  expecting  every  instant  to  see  his  rapier  in 
his  hands ;  but  he  stood  absolutely  still,  his  head  hanging 
down. 

"  Man,"  I  said,  "  have  you  not  heard  ?  Am  I  to  think 
you  a  coward  as  well  as  a  liar  ?  " 

"  How  dare  you  say  that !  "  he  burst  out.  "  You — you 
of  all  men — Oh !  what  am  I  saying  !  Yes,  I  did  not  play 
with  Colonna;  but  I  thought  you  were  hard  pressed  for 
money,  and — and  invented  the  fiction,  thinking  that  per- 
haps  " 

"  That  perhaps  I  would  accept  your  winnings  over  the 
gambling  table,  rather  than  the  offer  of  a  friend.  You  do 
me  much  honour,  chevalier." 

"  You  wrong  me,  Savelli, — nay,  start  not.  I  know  your 
name  and  story,  and,  before  heaven,  I  say  I  am  your 
friend." 

"  You  know  me  !  " 

"Yes,  and  am  working  for  you;  come,  put  by  your 
sword.     Look  at  me  !     Do  I  look  like  an  enemy  ?  " 

He  had  recovered  himself,  and  met  my  gaze  fearlessly. 


192         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

Where  could  I  have  seen  that  face  before?  I  drew  my 
hand  over  my  forehead  as  if  to  sweep  the  cobwebs  from  my 
memory,  but  with  no  avail. 

"  Well,"  he  went  on,  with  a  smile,  "  do  I  look  like  an 
enemy  ?  If  I  do,  your  sword  is  ready.  Strike  now,  it  will 
be  a  quick  riddance,  come  !  " 

I  put  back  my  sword  with  a  snap. 

"  I  do  not  understand,  but  I  accept  your  explanation." 

He  held  out  his  hand  frankly. 

"  That  is  right,  and  you  will  still  let  me  be  your  com- 
rade ?  " 

I  took  his  grasp. 

"  Yes,  if  you  wish  it." 

We  walked  back  together  in  silence,  and  on  reaching 
the  courtyard  St.  Armaude  said, 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  fallen  much  in  your  esteem." 

"  My  esteem,  chevalier,  is  at  present  of  no  value  to  man 
or  woman." 

"Do  you  think  so ? "  he  said,  and  then  rapidly,  " Adieu 
for  the  present ;  remember,  I  hold  you  to  your  word  that 
you  think  me  a  friend." 

I  made  no  answer,  and  he  ran  lightly  up  the  steps  of  the 
principal  entrance. 

I  supped  that  evening  for  a  change  with  the  gentlemen 
of  the  suite ;  but  St.  Armande  was  not  there,  and  there  were 
a  few  free  remarks  made  concerning  the  manner  in  which 
he  was  supposed  to  have  been  received  at  the  Vatican  by 
Giulia  Orsini,  and  Lucrezia  Borgia. 

"  If  it  goes  on  like  this,"  said  Le  Clerc,  "  we  will  have 
to  drag  the  Tiber  for  his  body,  and  say  masses  for  his  soul, 
unless  he  puts  the  seas  between  himself  and  the  Borgia." 

"  He  never  struck  me  as  a  man  to  run  after  the  ladies," 
I  said. 

"  No,"  replied  the  abbe,  "  but  it  is  the  other  way.    You 


FEIEND  OR  FOB.  193 

would  stand  no  chance  against  him,  cavalier,  for  all  your 
long  moustache — a  thousand  thanks,"  and  the  genial  Le 
Clerc  seized  the  flagon  of  Orvieto  I  passed  to  him,  and  filled 
his  goblet. 

After  this  the  conversation  changed,  and  I  shortly  re- 
tired to  my  apartments,  and  dismissing  my  lackey,  sat 
down  to  read  a  book  on  falconry  that  the  cardinal  had  lent 
me.  I  had  not  been  occupied  thus  for  an  hour  when  the 
door  opened,  and  Jacopo  cautiously  peeped  in.  He  with- 
drew his  head  on  catching  my  eye,  and  I  heard  him  shuf- 
fling outside. 

"  Come  in." 

"  Excellency,"  and  the  sound  of  further  shuffling,  but 
no  Jacopo.  I  lost  patience  at  this,  and  fearing  at  the  same 
time  that  there  had  been  trouble,  repeated  my  order  to  come 
in  sharply.  This  had  the  desired  effect ;  but  as  soon  as  my 
henchman  appeared  in  view  I  made  certain  there  had  been 
a  brawl.  He  was  very  red  in  the  face,  and  from  under  the 
helmet  he  wore  I  could  see  a  white  bandage. 

"  What  the  devil  does  this  mean,  Jacopo  ? "  I  asked 
sternly. 

"  I  have  come  to  report,  excellency." 

"  You  hardly  appear  in  a  fit  state  to  do  so." 

"  Perfectly  fit,  excellency,"  and  Jacopo  drew  himself  up 
to  attention  and  saluted. 

"  Is  the  matter  of  importance  ?  For  if  not,  you  had 
better  come  to-morrow." 

"  Yes,  your  excellency — matter  of  importance.  By  your 
worship's  leave,  as  you  are  aware,  I  gave  a  dinner  to-day, 
and  we  had " 

"  Never  mind  what  you  had ;  to  the  point." 

"  Boiled  meat  with  sause,  sausages  with  garlic,  a  risotto 
alia  Milanese " 

"  I  do  not  care  what  you  had,  go  on  fool." 


194:  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  I  am  going  on,  excellency.     Where  was  I — a  risotto 
did  I  say  ?    And  bread  made  with  yeast.     And  for  drink, 

signore " 

"  I  doubt  not  you  had  store  of  that,  Jacopo." 

"  But  a  dozen  flagons  or  so  of  wine,  your  worship — all 


rosso." 


"  Jacopo — you  will  be  good  enough  to  retire  at  once." 

"  I  am  retiring,  excellency ;  but  my  report." 

"  Will  do  for  to-morrow." 

"  As  your  worship  desires  ;  but  we  have  burnt  the  inn." 

"  What ! " 

"  The  inn,  where  we  rested  the  day  of  our  arrival  in 
Eome,  your  worship.  What  with  one  thing  and  another, 
the  landlord  footed  up  his  bill  to  four  crowns.  And  I  said 
to  my  friends,  '  What !  Are  honest  soldiers  to  pay  like 
this  ? '  Whereat  there  was  trouble,  excellency ;  but  we 
came  off  best." 

I  rose  without  a  word,  and  seizing  Jacopo  by  the  neck, 
ejected  him  from  the  room,  with,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  very 
considerable  violence. 

Cursing  myself  for  my  folly  in  having  been  so  generous, 
I  banged  the  door  after  him,  and  returned  to  my  book.  I 
could  not,  however,  read,  for  my  mind  was  full  of  the  con- 
sequences that  might  arise  from  this  mad  freak  of  my  fol- 
lowers, and  I  determined  to  seek  out  the  cardinal  the  next 
day,  and  obtain  his  permission  to  move  out  of  Eome  to  some 
quieter  spot,  and  their  await  his  instructions.  Amidst  it 
all,  however,  I  could  not  help  being  pleased  at  the  thought 
that  retributive  justice  had  overtaken  the  scoundrel  tavern- 
keeper,  the  memory  of  whose  bed  made  me  shudder.  I  had 
no  doubt  that  Jacopo  was  speaking  the  truth,  and  that,  even 
as  he  spoke,  the  flames  were  sputtering  merrily  above  that 
den  of  thieves. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    VATICAN. 

The  next  morning  I  sought  an  early  interview  with 
D'Amboise,  and  stated  to  him  what  had  occurred,  propos- 
ing that  I  should  leave  Rome  at  once,  and  await  his  instruc- 
tions at  any  point  he  should  fix.  To  my  surprise  he  did  not 
regard  the  matter  in  so  serious  a  light,  saying  that  a  small 
fine  would  no  doubt  settle  the  matter.  "  My  dear  cavaliere," 
he  said,  "  Our  Lord  does  not  desire  the  death  of  a  sinner, 
but  only  his  purse.  Make  your  mind  easy,  but  keep  a  tighter 
hand  on  your  men." 

"  I  shall  assuredly  do  so,  your  eminence." 

"Another  thing.  I  think  you  will  have  to  put  aside 
your  shyness,  and  attend  me  to  the  Vatican  for  the  next  few 
days.  It  is  extraordinary  how  suspicious  the  Court  here  is. 
They  keep  a  constant  watch  on  me,  and  on  all  the  suite,  and 
your  seclusion,  and  solitary  rides  out,  have  been  the  subject 
of  remark.  The  ladies  too  are  taking  interest  in  you.  In 
fact  I  have  been  specially  asked  to  bring  you  with  me,  by 
Madonna  Lucrezia,  all  owing  to  a  foolish  remark  made  by 
Strigonia." 

"  I  am  at  your  eminence's  orders." 

"  It  is  a  little  risk,  but  I  do  not  want  them  to  think  that 
you  are  anything  but  a  mere  member  of  my  suite.  If  there 
were  the  slightest  suspicion,  all  my  plans  would  be  upset, 
and  the  time  is  at  hand  now,  a  day  or  two  at  the  outside." 

195 


196         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  Thank  God  !     I  am  eating  my  heart  out  here." 

"  Courage,  cavaliere  !  It  will  end  soon.  By  the  way,  is 
Bayard  right  in  saying  you  have  enlisted  St.  Armande  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  eminence." 

"  del !  I  should  not  have  thought  he  would  have  been 
one  for  your  purpose.  But  that  is  your  affair,"  and  he  be- 
gan to  laugh. 

"  I  have  seven  good  swords  behind  me,  your  eminence. 
The  chevalier  may  or  may  not  do  well ;  but  I  could  hardly 
refuse  his  request." 

D'Amboise  made  no  answer,  and  our  interview  came  to 
a  close.  I  would,  however,  add  here  that  nothing  ever  came 
of  the  burning  of  the  inn.  No  complaint  was  ever  laid,  as 
far  as  I  could  find  out,  and  the  matter  might  have  been  an 
every-day  occurrence,  so  little  attention  did  it  excite.  I  of 
course  did  not  know  that  affairs  had  reached  to  such  a  pitch 
of  disorder  in  Kome,  and  lived  in  hourly  expectation,  not- 
withstanding the  cardinal's  speech,  of  having  considerable 
worry  over  the  revengeful  zeal  of  Jacopo.  I  took  care  that 
no  such  thing  was  likely  to  occur  again,  and  Master  Jacopo 
was  penitent,  swearing  he  would  never  give  me  further 
cause  for  annoyance.  At  the  levee,  that  morning,  St.  Ar- 
mande was,  as  usual,  beside  me,  and  I  whispered  to  him  to 
hold  himself  in  readiness,  as  the  time  for  our  business  was 
at  hand. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  he  answered,  his  face  lighting  up. 

"  I  attend  the  cardinal  to-day  to  the  Vatican,"  I  said,  by 
way  of  continuing  the  conversation. 

"  There  will  be  much  going  on  this  evening,"  he  made 
reply.  "  The  Florentine  envoy  has  been  here  for  the  past 
two  days,  and  the  affair  at  the  Vatican  to-night  is  in  his 
honour.  Do  you  know  that  you  have  excited  great  curiosity 
in  the  hearts  of  the  court  ladies  ?  " 

"  Indeed  ?    It  is  not  my  way." 


THE  VATICAN.  197 

"  Is  it  not  ?  Well,  Lucrezia  expressed  a  particular  desire 
to  see  you." 

"  I  trust  it  may  not  lead  to  the  Tiber,  chevalier.  The 
attentions  of  the  Lady  Lucrezia  are  a  trifle  dangerous." 

His  face  became  very  grave. 

"  Be  civil  to  her,  nothing  more,"  he  whispered.  "  You 
are  quite  right.  Oh,  how  I  hate  that  place  ! " — and  he  shiv- 
ered a  little. 

"  Well,  we  will  soon  be  out  of  it." 

"  Please  God ! " 

There  was  no  one  at  the  high  table  at  dinner  that  day, 
both  the  cardinal  and  Bayard  having  gone  to  dine  with 
Sforza  at  the  Sforza  Cesarini,  quite  an  informal  business, 
and  none  of  the  suite  accompanied  them. 

The  conversation  at  our  table  turned  much  on  affairs, 
and  as  there  were  for  once  no  guests,  speech  was  very  free. 

"  The  fleur-de-lis  will  cover  our  tongues,"  said  Le  Clerc, 
"  and  to-day  we  may  let  them  wag." 

"  Then  how  long  is  this  truce  to  last?  "  asked  De  Bricon- 
net,  the  captain  of  the  cardinal's  guard.  "  I  am  sick  of  this 
idleness  here,"  he  added. 

"As  for  that,  no  man  knows  whether  it  is  peace  or  war," 
replied  Le  Clerc.  "  Tremouille  is  chafing  at  Passignano, 
swearing  that  the  game  was  ours  if  we  had  only  let  him 
march  on  after  Fossombrone,  and  he  was  right.  Now  Cesare 
has  stamped  out  the  Magione  league,  and  the  Borgia  are  as 
strong  as  ever." 

"  How  came  such  a  man  as  Roderigo  Borgia  ever  to  be 
made  pope  ?  "  I  asked. 

Le  Clerc  laughed  as  he  passed  on  the  Orvieto. 

"  When  our  Lord,  the  sainted  Innocent,  was  called 
away,  there  were  three  favourites  in  the  conclave.  One 
was  Giuliano  della  Rovere,  the  other  Ascanio  Sforza,  and 
the  third  Roderigo  Borgia.     His  eminence  of  St.  Sabine'a 


198  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

was  our  man,  and  the  election  would  have  been  certain 
had  not  Borgia  and  Ascanio  joined  hands  and  the  Milanese 
voted  for  Koderigo." 

"  I  did  not  think  Sforza  would  have  been  so  self-sacri- 
ficing," said  De  Briconnet. 

"  There  were  compensations,  Jacques,"  Le  Clerc  went 
on.  "  Four  mule-loads  of  gold  were  given  to  Ascanio,  he 
was  made  vice-chancellor  of  the  church,  and  given  Borgia's 
own  palace,  the  Cesarini,  where  his  eminence  dines  to-day. 
Immediately  after  the  elections  were  made  I  was  at  the 
rota  exchanging  a  few  words  with  your  uncle,  the  cardinal 
of  St.  Malo,  and  he  told  me  that  as  soon  as  the  result  was 
known,  Medici  turned  to  Cardinal  Cibo,  and  said,  '  We  are 
in  the  jaws  of  the  wolf !  Heaven  grant  that  he  may  not 
devour  us ! '  As  for  Borgia  he  could  do  nothing  but  walk 
about,  calling  out,  '  I  am  Pope,  Pontiff,  Vicar  of  Christ ! ' " 

"  I  do  not  suppose  it  can  last  long,"  said  De  Briconnet. 

"  Heaven  knows.  He  is  close  upon  seventy-one  and 
grows  younger  every  day.  He  is  as  strong  as  he  was  thirty 
years  ago.  And  there  are  few  men  who  can  sit  a  horse  as 
he  can,  even  now." 

"  That  is  true,"  I  remarked,  and  gave  the  story  of  my 
meeting  with  the  Borgia  on  the  day  of  my  arrival  in  Eome. 

Shortly  after  this  our  dinner,  where  speech  had  been  so 
free,  broke  up,  and,  finding  out  the  hour  at  which  the  car- 
dinal would  require  my  attendance,  I  took  my  book  on  fal- 
conry, and  repaired  to  the  garden,  intending  to  pass  the 
afternoon  in  its  perusal.  I  made  for  the  Lemon  "Walk, 
and  found  a  companion  in  Bran,  who  was  wandering  there 
in  a  disconsolate  manner,  evidently  missing  his  master.  I 
set  myself  down  on  a  sheltered  seat,  Bran  stretching  out  his 
length  at  my  feet,  his  muzzle  resting  between  his  paws,  and 
so  we  remained  in  quiet,  the  dog  absolutely  motionless,  and 
I  engaged  in  my  book. 


THE  VATICAN.  199 

So  an  hour  must  have  passed,  when  Bran  gave  a  low 
growl,  and  looking  up  I  ran  rny  eye  up  and  down  the  walk, 
but  could  see  nothing.  I  then  followed  the  direction  in 
which  the  dog  was  gazing,  and  through  the  leaves  oppo- 
site to  me,  saw  a  stretch  of  green,  terminating  in  a  clump 
of  three  huge  chestnuts.  A  further  examination  showed 
two  figures  standing  in  the  shade  of  the  trees,  one  of  them 
was  St.  Armande,  and  the  other,  his  secretary,  the  abbe. 
But  what  surprised  me,  was  that  the  chevalier  appeared  to 
be  overcome  with  some  powerful  emotion,  for  he  was  lean- 
ing with  his  arm  against  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  against 
which  his  face  was  pressed,  and  his  figure  shook  as  if  he 
were  weeping.  The  abbe  stood  by  him,  with  a  look  of 
compassion  on  his  features,  and  was  endeavouring  to  pacify 
him. 

It  was  clear  that  I  was  looking  at  something  I  was  not 
intended  to  see,  and  with  a  low,  "  Quiet,  Bran,"  to  the  dog, 
which  the  well-trained  beast  instantly  obeyed,  I  rose,  and 
whistling  a  catch  loudly,  walked  down  the  avenue,  with  my 
back  towards  St.  Armande  and  the  abbe,  Bran  stalking  by 
my  side.  I  did  not  look  round,  and  of  course  could  not 
tell  what  happened,  but  I  could  not  help  wondering  what 
it  was  that  affected  St.  Armande  so  strongly.  It  was  hardly 
the  place  for  the  confessional.  Yet  it  was  no  business  of 
mine  to  pry  into  other  people's  affairs.  So  handing  over 
Bran  to  a  lackey  of  Bayard,  I  went  up  to  my  apartment, 
and  attempted  to  resume  my  interest  in  my  book. 

This,  however,  was  not  possible,  for  in  a  few  minutes  I 
found  myself  with  the  volume  in  my  lap,  my  eyes  staring 
into  vacancy,  and  thinking  of  St.  Armande.  I  began  to 
try  and  analyse  my  feelings  towards  him,  but  beyond  that 
I  was  certain  he  had  inspired  me  with  a  strong  friendship 
I  could  go  no  further.  It  was  this  friendship  that  urged 
me  to  accede  to  his  request  to  be  allowed  to  share  in  my 


200  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

coming  adventure,  although  I  was  well  able  to  see  that  he 
was  anything  but  fitted  for  a  desperate  deed.  Still  some- 
how, I  could  not  find  it  in  my  heart  to  refuse  him,  al- 
though I  felt  I  was  doing  an  unwise  thing.  I  consoled 
myself,  or  rather  tried  to  console  myself,  with  the  reflection 
that  he  would  have  to  take  his  chance  like  any  other  man 
of  my  troop,  and  if  he  fell,  well,  there  was  an  end  of  it,  and 
of  him.  Yet  I  was  not  comfortable,  and  then,  to  give  my 
thoughts  another  turn,  I  bent  them  on  other  matters,  and 
it  came  to  my  mind  that  it  was  a  little  surprising  I  had  not 
heard  of  D'Entrangues  in  Rome. 

When  Bayard  told  me  of  his  petition  to  the  king,  I 
had  asked  whether  anything  was  known  of  D'Entrangues' 
movements,  and  he  said  he  did  not  know.  It  was  curious,  too, 
how  I  appeared  to  have  entirely  mastered  that  mad  longing 
for  revenge,  which  at  first  held  me.  It  was  a  direct  answer, 
as  it  were,  to  my  prayer,  and,  so  thinking,  I  began  to  realise 
how  close  in  reality  a  man  is  to  the  divine  power,  which  he 
often,  too  often,  thinks  far  from  him.  And  a  certain  feel- 
ing of  satisfaction  came  upon  me  at  the  thought  of  the 
strength  I  had  gained  by  my  victory  over  myself.  Indeed, 
I  felt  sure,  that  if  my  enemy  was  in  my  power  at  the  mo- 
ment that  I  would  not  injure  him,  but  let  him  go  without 
harm. 

In  this  manner,  attempting  to  read,  and  trying  to  think, 
without  very  much  success  in  either  undertaking,  I  passed 
my  time  until  my  lackey  came  to  assist  me  to  dress,  in 
order  to  be  ready  to  accompany  the  cardinal  to  the  Vati- 
can. After  dressing,  I  descended  the  stairs,  and  mounting 
Castor,  placed  myself  at  the  head  of  my  men,  and  joined 
De  Briconnet  at  the  grand  entrance  of  the  palace.  The 
captain  of  the  cardinal's  guard  had  his  full  force  of  thirty 
swords  out,  it  being  a  reception  night  of  some  importance, 
and  with  great  courtesy  allowed  me  to  place  Jacopo  and  my 


THE  VATICAN.  201 

six  men  in  front  of  his  troop,  drawing  his  own  horse  along- 
side of  mine,  and  discussing,  with  much  cunning,  of  fal- 
conry, in  which  he  was  more  than  an  adept. 

We  had  to  wait  some  little  time  for  the  cardinal,  but  at 
length  he  came,  accompanied  as  usual  by  Bayard,  and  with 
him  all  the  gentlemen  of  his  suite  including  St.  Armande. 
On  reaching  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  D'Amboise  enquired 
somewhat  sharply  for  me ;  but  changed  his  tone  to  one  of 
pleasant  greeting  when  he  saw  I  was  in  waiting. 

"  St.  Dennis !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  I  thought  you  were  not 
coming  after  all." 

We  had  but  a  few  yards  to  ride,  and  our  passage  along 
the  Via  Alessandrina  to  the  Portone  Bronse,  took  but  a  few 
minutes.  As  we  rode  up  there,  we  kept  the  obelisk  in  the 
centre  of  the  Piazza  di  S.  Pietro  to  our  left,  and  saw  before 
us  the  walls  of  the  new  cathedral  of  St.  Peter,  then  about 
four  or  five  feet  high,  the  ruins  of  the  old  church  still 
standing  around  it.  At  the  time  I  speak  of,  nothing  had 
been  done  for  about  fifty  years  towards  advancing  the  work, 
begun  by  Nicholas  V.,  and  the  great  design,  afterwards 
altered  and  put  into  execution  by  Giuliano  della  Eovere, 
when  he  became  Pope  as  Julius  II.,  was  then  in  a  skeleton 
form,  looking  more  like  the  remains  of  some  sacked  shrine 
than  the  beginning  of  a  new  work.  The  fifty  years  of 
neglect  having  the  effect  of  making  the  new  work  almost  as 
ruinous  as  the  old  church  founded  by  Constantine. 

Although,  as  I  have  mentioned,  there  were  to  be  great 
•  doings  at  the  Vatican  that  evening,  there  was  no  crowd  as- 
sembled in  the  Piazza  of  St.  Peter.  It  was  full  of  soldiers, 
but  the  people  of  Pome,  who  might  have  been  expected  to 
be  there  in  numbers,  to  see  the  processions  of  nobles  and 
their  followers,  were  conspicuous  by  their  absence.  Men- 
at-arms  there  were  in  store,  but  no  happy,  jostling  crowd  of 

the  commons,  for  a  terror  was  on  Kome,  and  men  kept  as 
14 


202  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

far  as  possible  from  the  Borgo.  The  piazza  was,  however, 
brilliantly  lit  up,  and  the  body  guards  of  the  various  nota- 
bles were  strictly  confined  to  the  places  assigned  to  them, 
order  being  maintained  by  about  a  thousand  men  of  the 
Spanish  guards  of  the  Pope,  under  the  immediate  command 
of  De  Leyva.  The  light  from  the  lamps  was  reflected  back 
by  the  glittering  arms  of  the  men,  and  the  various  ensigns 
of  the  great  houses  were  distinctly  visible.  The  single 
column  of  Colonna,  rose  side  by  side  with  the  eagle  and 
griffin  of  Borghese,  the  six  lilies  of  Farnese  trembled  in  the 
wind,  near  Colleoni's  two-headed  lion,  and  a  little  in  the 
background  was  drawn  up  a  solid  looking  body  of  cavalry, 
over  whom  fluttered  the  standard  of  the  Borgia ;  these  were 
Cesare's  own  lambs,  as  he  called  them,  veterans  of  many  a 
hard  fought  field. 

At  the  entrance  steps  we  halted,  and  were  met  by  two 
chamberlains,  who,  with  their  staffs  of  office  in  their  hands, 
ushered  us  to  the  bronze  gates,  by  which  we  were  to  enter 
the  Vatican.  "We  passed  through  amidst  a  blare  of  trumpets, 
each  side  of  the  passage  being  lined  with  pikemen,  standing 
stiff  and  motionless  as  statues.  Our  way  led  to  the  Torre 
Borgia,  the  portion  of  the  Vatican  occupied  by  Alexander, 
and  the  distant  strains  of  music  caught  our  ears  as  we  went 
on,  and  shortly  entered  the  noble  reception  rooms,  which 
were  crowded  with  people. 

The  Pope  himself  stood  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  apart- 
ment, surrounded  by  a  brilliant  group  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, and  as  we  came  up  to  make  our  duty,  I  had  good  op« 
portunity  of  observing  him.  Alexander  was  fully  seventy 
years  of  age,  but  so  hale,  hearty,  and  strong-looking,  that 
he  might  have  easily  passed  for  a  man  of  middle  age.  He 
was  dressed  as  a  private  gentleman,  in  Spanish  costume, 
with  high  boots,  a  jewelled  dagger  at  his  side,  and  a  smart 
velvet  cap  on  his  head.     But  the  face  itself  struck  me  as  re- 


THE  VATICAN.  203 

markable  to  a  degree.  He  was  clean  shaven,  so  that  all  the 
features  were  clearly  discernible,  the  heavy  sensual  chin,  the 
wide  cruel  mouth,  surmounted  by  a  nose  almost  Jewish  in 
its  curve,  the  retreating  forehead  bulging  over  the  eyes,  and 
the  eyes  themselves,  in  which  there  seemed  to  burn  the  fires 
of  insatiable  appetite,  and  passion  without  end ;  all  these, 
combined  together  to  make  up  a  countenance  which  was  a 
fitting  mask  for  the  evil  soul  within.  I  made  my  obeisance 
with  the  others,  stifling  with  difficulty  a  sudden  desire  to 
fling  aside  the  hand  I  touched,  and  walk  out  of  the  room. 

I  moved  slightly  aside,  and  watched  the  various  groups 
as  they  wandered  to  and  fro,  or  stood  together  conversing ; 
and  the  hum  of  voices,  the  gay  strains  of  music,  and  the 
brilliant  dresses  made  up  together  a  scene  well  worth  the 
looking  at. 

The  Florentine  ambassador  was  talking  to  the  Cardinal 
of  Santa  Susanna,  a  few  feet  from  me.  I  caught  the  tones 
of  his  voice,  and  as  he  turned  round  our  eyes  met.  Machia- 
velli,  for  it  was  he,  glanced  at  me  as  at  a  perfect  stranger, 
and  then,  slightly  adjusting  his  purple  lined  robe,  moved 
slowly  onwards  with  his  companion. 

"  We  mount  yet  higher,  signore — excelsior  !  " 

The  words  were  breathed  rather  than  whispered  into  my 
ear,  and  Corte  stood  beside  me. 

"  Excelsior  !  "  I  repeated  with  a  smile,  "  but  are  you  not 
putting  your  head  in  the  lion's  mouth  ?  " 

He  smiled  back  upon  me,  more  of  a  snarl  than  a  smile. 
"  The  beast  is  gorged  now.  He  will  not  think  of  me — see, 
there  is  some  one  coming  your  way — adieu  !  " 

He  turned  and  passed  into  the  groups,  and  St.  Armande 
touched  my  arm. 

"  You  are  to  be  presented  to  the  Lady  Lucrezia,"  he 
said,  and  the  next  moment  I  found  myself  bowing  over  the 
hand  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  and  certainly  the  most 


204         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

infamous  woman  of  her  age.  She  was  barely  twenty-three ; 
had  already  wedded  three  husbands,  and  was  to  become  a 
wife  again,  and  marry  Alfonso  of  Ferrara.  She  was  seated 
in  a  low  lounge,  and  as  I  came  up  she  extended  her  hand 
to  me  with  a  charming  smile.  Standing  before  her,  looking 
at  her  large  limpid  eyes,  at  the  small  red  bow  of  the  lips, 
and  the  clear  cut  features  set  in  a  mass  of  red  gold  hair,  I 
could  not  imagine  that  the  stories  I  had  heard  were  true. 
It  could  not  be  that  this  fair  young  woman  who  was  before 
me  had  smilingly  committed  crimes  of  nameless  horror.  I 
would  not  believe  it. 

"  So,  cavaliere,  you  have  come  to  the  court  at  last !  I 
thought  you  were  never  going  to  do  us  that  honour." 

"  His  Eminence  of  Strigonia  said  you  meant  to  take  the 
vows,"  and  a  lady,  who  was  leaning  over  Lucrezia's  seat, 
laughed  as  she  put  in  these  words.  I  recognised  the  pecul- 
iar unmusical  laugh  I  had  heart  at  the  gate  St.  Paul,  and 
glanced  at  her  with  some  interest. 

"  My  sister-in-law,  Giulia  Farnese — Giulia  Bella,  is  it 
not  ?  "  and  Lucrezia  touched  her  lightly  on  the  arm. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Giulia  Bella — and  are  you  really  going  to  be- 
come a  hermit  ?  " 

"  I  might  have  had  such  thoughts  until  I  came  here,"  I 
said,  "  but  I  must  now  put  them  aside." 

"  Neatly  turned,  cavaliere — St.  Armande  himself  could 
not  have  put  it  better — sit  here,  chevalier,"  and  Lucrezia 
made  room  for  St.  Armande  on  her  lounge. 

At  this  moment  a  commotion  at  the  entrance  attracted 
our  attention,  and  a  man  robed  in  black,  followed  by  two 
others,  walked  up  towards  the  Pope. 

"  Heavens ! "  said  Lucrezia,  "  it  is  Cesare  ! "  and  a  look 
that  was  not  sisterly  came  over  her  face  as  she  glanced  at 
her  brother,  who  moved  slowly  up  the  room,  men  falling 
away  from  each  side  of  him,  and  greeting  no  one.     He  kept 


THE  VATICAN.  205 

himself  covered,  and  below  his  square  velvet  cap,  I  saw  a 
resolute  face,  the  mouth  and  chin,  covered  by  a  moustache 
and  short  beard,  not  so  hidden,  however,  but  that  one  could 
distinctly  see  against  the  dark  hair  on  his  face,  the  full  red 
line  of  the  lips,  set  in  a  habitual  sneer.  Bad  as  the  whole 
brood  of  the  Borgia  were,  this  was  the  worst  of  them  all. 
He  was  as  far  beyond  them  in  infamy  as  they  were  beyond 
the  rest  of  mankind  in  evil  doing.  The  very  room  was 
hushed  into  silence  as  he  entered,  and  I  watched  with  more 
interest  than  I  can  tell,  the  stately  figure  of  this  wicked 
man,  as  he  went  up  to  meet  his  only  less  wicked  father.  It 
was  their  first  meeting  since  the  murder  of  Pierrot,  and 
Alexander,  who  stood  in  dread  of  his  son,  began  to  tremble 
violently  as  he  approached,  looking  this  way  and  that,  as  if 
he  would  avoid  him.  At  last  they  came  together  face  to 
face,  Cesare  speaking  no  word,  but  lifting  his  cap  with  a 
low  bow.  Alexander  almost  made  a  motion  as  if  he  was 
wringing  his  hands ;  but  recovered  himself  with  an  effort, 
and  kissed  his  son  on  the  cheek. 

"  So  do  the  devils  kiss."  Lucrezia  spoke  these  words 
under  her  breath,  and  I  turned  sharply  round  and  looked 
at  her.  Her  eyes  fell  beneath  my  glance  of  inquiry,  and  to 
raise  some  conversation  I  addressed  Giulia  Bella. 

"  So  that  is  the  Duke  of  Valentinois  ?  " 

"Yes — and  the  man  immediately  behind  him  is  Don 
Michelotto." 

"  The  strangler." 

"  You  use  strong  terms,  sir,"  the  eyes  of  the  Farnese 
flashed  fire,  and  Lucrezia  added  hurriedly — 

"  Yes,  yes — you  are  right — the  strangler." 

"  Hush,  fool ! "  and  Giulia  Bella  laid  her  hand  on  her 
friend's  shoulder.     "  See,  they  come  this  way — be  cool ! " 

In  fact,  Cesare  had  turned  from  his  father  without  either 
of  them  exchanging  a  word,  and  was  coming  directly  to- 


206  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

wards  us.  On  the  way  he  passed  a  group  consisting  of 
D'Amboise,  Bayard,  and  the  Cardinal  of  Strigonia.  Valen- 
tinois  stopped,  and  in  his  speechless  way,  held  out  his  hand 
to  Bayard,  who  merely  bowed  stiffly.  Cesare's  dark  face 
whitened  with  rage,  and  dropping  his  hand  to  his  side  he 
walked  straight  on,  and  I  could  see  that  D'Amboise  was  ex- 
postulating with  Bayard,  and  Strigonia  openly  laughing. 
This  insult,  however,  had  not  added  to  Cesare's  good  tem- 
per ;  in  fact,  he  came  up  to  us  as  angry  as  a  man  could  be, 
and  after  greeting  his  sister  coldly,  turned  to  St.  Armande 
and  looked  at  him  in  silence. 

"  It  is  usual,  signore,"  said  Don  Michelotto  to  the  cheva- 
lier, "  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  a  prince." 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  you  were  a  prince,  sir,"  replied 
St.  Armande,  entirely  ignoring  the  Borgia. 

"  You  can  give  this  young  gentleman  a  lesson  in  man- 
ners at  your  leisure,"  said  Cesare.  "  By  your  leave,  sir," 
and  giving  his  hand  to  his  sister,  who  took  it  passively,  he 
led  her  to  another  apartment,  followed  by  Giulia  Bella,  who 
tapped  a  good-bye  on  St.  Armande's  arm  with  her  closed 
fan. 

Our  group  now  consisted  of  Michelotto  and  myself 
standing,  and  St.  Armande  still  sitting  comfortably  in  the 
lounge,  evidently  examining  the  contour  of  his  small  and 
shapely  foot.  As  for  me,  although  I  knew  St.  Armande  to 
be  grossly  in  the  wrong,  I  was  delighted  with  the  sudden 
spirit  he  had  shown.  The  youngster  had  heart,  after  all, 
and  there  was  the  making  of  a  man  in  him. 

Michelotto  behaved  with  great  composure. 

"  I  trust,  signore — I  do  not  know  your  name — that  you 
will  give  me  the  chance  of  carrying  out  the  duke's  com' 
mands." 

"My  name  is  St.  Armande,"  replied  the  chevalier; 
"  and  I  am  ready  now,  if  you  wish  it." 


THE  VATICAN.  207 

"  This  is  scarcely  the  place,  signore ;  but  the  Vatican 
gardens  are  a  few  feet  away.  If  you  will  meet  me  near  the 
summer-house,  in,  say,  half  an  hour  from  now,  it  would  be 
a  convenience.  If  we  left  together  perhaps  it  would  excite 
remark,"  and  the  Spaniard  played  with  the  inlaid  hilt  of 
his  dagger. 

"  Very  well." 

Michelotto  gave  St.  Armande  a  bow,  made  a  slight  in- 
clination towards  me,  and  strolled  off.  To  all  intents  and 
purposes  we  might  have  been  engaged  in  the  most  friendly 
of  conversations. 

"  Well,  cavaliere,"  said  St.  Armande  looking  up  at  me, 
"  are  you  satisfied  now  ?  " 

"  I  am  satisfied,  chevalier,  that  you  are  still  too  young 
to  be  trusted  alone.  If  you  wanted  to  pick  a  quarrel  there 
were  a  hundred  courses  open  to  you  :  there  are  fifty  other 
men  with  whom  you  might  have  crossed  swords  with  no 
danger  except  to  yourself,  and  you  must  needs  insult  Cesare, 
and  get  embroiled  with  a  cut-throat  and  risk  our  plans. 
Where  is  your  prudence  ?  But  the  wine  is  poured  out  now. 
You  must  drink." 

His  colour  kept  coming  and  going.  "  I  mean  to  fight  it 
out.  I  shall  step  out  in  ten  minutes,  and  await  him.  See ! 
they  are  all  gathering  round  the  tables.  What  with  the 
wine  and  the  dice,  no  one  will  take  heed  who  goes  or  who 
comes — good-bye  ! "  and  he  held  out  his  hand  to  me. 

"  Nonsense,  man — you  are  not  going  alone.  You  will 
want  a  second." 

"  But  not  you,"  he  replied,  "  any  one  but  you.  You 
have  work  to  do — not  you,  Savelli."  His  voice  had  almost  a 
choke  in  it  as  he  spoke. 

"  Come,"  I  said,  "  put  an  end  to  this,  or  you  will  be  run 
through  the  ribs.     I  am  going  with  you." 

He  gave  in  with  a  feminine  gesture  of  agreement. 


208                      THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 
"  The  business  will  not  take  long " 


"  It  will  take  long  enough,  signore,  if  you  go  as  you  are 
going,"  and  Corte  stood  beside  us.  "  Signore,"  he  added, 
"  I  have  overheard  every  word  of  the  scene.  Do  not  go 
as  you  value  your  lives.  If  you  do  go,  go  with  a  strong 
party." 

"  Diavolo ! "  I  exclaimed,  "  an  affair  of  the  dagger  then  !  " 

St.  Armande  looked  from  one  to  another  of  us  in  sur- 
prise. "  This  is  a  friend,  chevalier,"  I  said,  "  who  has  done 
us  good  service,"  and  turning  to  Corte,  "  but  we  must  meet 
the  man — how  on  earth  are  we  to  do  so  in  any  force? " 

"  Look  round  you,"  he  made  answer,  "  like  master,  like 
man — stroll  out.  You  have  some  swords  at  your  back. 
Take  them  with  you ;  but  better  not  go  at  all.  Ah  !  I  see 
my  new  master,  the  Camulengo,  looking  towards  me — be 
wise  and  do  not  go,"  and  Corte  moved  off  to  where  the 
Cardinal  Ascanio  Sforze  was  seated,  surrounded  by  a  little 
group  of  courtiers  and  priests. 

"  Who  is  that  man  ?  "  asked  St.  Armande. 

"  I  met  him  under  circumstances  too  long  to  tell  you 
here,"  I  said,  "  some  other  day  you  may  hear  all  about  him. 
We  will  however  take  his  advice,  and  meet  Don  Michelotto 
with  an  extra  sword  or  so  at  our  backs."  So  saying  I  took 
his  arm,  and  we  strolled  through  the  apartments,  where 
every  one  appeared  to  be  giving  full  rein  to  his  fancy.  In 
fact  the  beginning  of  an  orgie  had  set  in.  Alexander,  ap- 
parently recovered  from  the  shock  of  meeting  with  his  son, 
was  at  the  gaming  table,  playing  heavily,  with  Giulia  Bella 
at  his  side.  Bayard  and  Gonsalvo  de  Cordova  were  engaged 
in  earnest  converse  with  each  other,  and  Strigonia  and 
D'Amboise  were  cracking  a  flask  of  wine.  I  heard  D'Este 
say  as  we  passed  him — "  It  is  adieu  to  your  eminence  after 
to-night.  I  am  a  sheep  fat  enough  for  the  shambles,  and 
must  look  to  my  throat  and  my  fleece." 


THE  VATICAN.  209 

"  You  would  be  wise  Strigonia,"  D'Amboise  made 
answer,  "  if  the  shield  of  France  did  not  cover  me,  I  would 
not  be  here  another  hour.  But  it  is  an  ill  thing  to  lose  a 
comrade  such  as  you." 

"  To  better  times,"  and  the  prelate  who  could  only  eat, 
drained  his  glass  to  the  prelate  who  could  both  eat  and 
think. 

We  now  began  to  hurry  a  little,  and  found  that  Corte 
was  right,  for  the  soldiers  who  had  lined  the  passage  inside 
the  Bronze  Gates  had  taken  themselves  off,  and  a  consid- 
erable numbers  of  servants  and  followers  were  enjoying  here 
the  results  of  piratical  raids  on  the  supper  tables. 

Outside,  however,  everything  was  in  order,  for  De  Leyva 
was  a  thorough  soldier.  I  found  both  the  Spaniard  and 
De  Briconnet  cursing  their  luck  at  being  on  the  guards, 
and  attacking  a  capon  which  they  were  washing  down  with 
copious  draughts  of  Falernian.  Their  duties  kept  them 
outside,  and  it  was  a  poor  supper  they  were  making,  by 
the  light  of  torches,  seated  together  on  the  steps  of  the 
Vatican. 

"  What !  out  already,  cavlaliere  ?  "  asked  De  Briconnet. 
"  Is  the  cardinal  going  ?  " 

"  No,  but  there  is  a  little  business,"  I  answered  as  I 
called  Jacopo. 

"  Nom  du  (liable  !     Can  I  not  come  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  a  relaxation,"  said  De  Leyva. 

"  I  am  afraid  not,  gentlemen,  although  we  thank  you. 
Here,  Jacopo !  Get  three  of  our  fellows  and  follow  me. 
Tell  the  others  to  hold  their  horses." 

It  was  done  in  a  twinkling,  and  in  a  few  steps,  having 
harked  back,  we  were  in  the  Papal  gardens.  The  casino  or 
summer-house  of  the  Pope  was  in  full  light,  and  we  directed 
our  steps  there  without  difficulty.  I  made  two  of  our  men 
walk  in  front,  Jacopo  and  the  third  behind  us,  and  wo 


210         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

remained  in  the  middle.  Strict  orders  were  given  to  have 
swords  ready,  and  to  use  them  at  once. 

Except  for  the  moonlight,  the  gardens  themselves  were 
not  illuminated,  and  as  we  tramped  along  the  paths,  I 
thought  to  myself  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for  Miche- 
lotto  to  have  got  rid  of  both  St.  Armande  and  myself,  if 
we  had  been  fools  enough  to  go  without  escort. 

Nothing  happened.  We  reached  the  casino  and  waited 
there  a  full  hour  ;  but  there  was  no  sign  of  Michelotto. 

At  last  I  lost  patience. 

"  He  never  meant  to  cross  a  sword  with  you,  chevalier.  I 
can  bear  witness  you  were  here,  and  kept  tryst.  We  have 
escaped  a  felon's  blow  however.  Come  back — it  is  getting 
late — even  for  his  eminence."  We  turned,  and  made  our 
way  back,  but  it  was  a  good  two  hours  before  D'Amboise 
retired.  Bayard  had  gone  on  long  before,  declining  all 
offers  of  escort.  When  we  reached  the  palace  we  found  he 
had  arrived  safely. 

I  wished  St.  Armande  a  good  night,  with  more  respect 
for  him  in  my  heart  than  I  ever  felt  before,  and  turned  to 
seek  my  apartments.  Late  as  it  was,  however,  there  was  to 
be  no  sleep  for  me,  as  De  Briconnet,  whose  brain  the 
Falernian  had  merely  made  more  lively,  insisted  on  accom- 
panying me,  and  we  split  another  flask,  and  talked  of 
falconry  till  the  verge  of  the  morning. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   OPAL   RING. 

"  His  eminence  will  await  the  Signor'  Donati  at  sup- 
per this  evening." 

Defaure  delivered  his  message,  received  his  answer,  and 
tripped  away,  his  little  page's  cap  set  jauntily  on  the  side 
of  his  head,  and  the  haft  of  his  dagger  clinking  against 
the  silver  chain  which  held  it  to  his  belt.  As  for  me,  my 
heart  leaped  at  the  words,  for  I  felt  sure  my  business  was 
come,  and  summoning  Jacopo,  I  gave  him  the  necessary 
orders  to  have  our  men  in  readiness  for  an  immediate  start. 
I  then  sought  St.  Armande,  and  told  him  what  I  expected. 

"  I  am  ready,"  he  said  simply. 

"  Very  well,  then  sup  lightly,  and  await  me  in  my  apart- 
ments." 

I  turned  back,  and  on  reaching  my  rooms,  was  surprised 
to  find  I  had  a  visitor  awaiting  me.  It  was  Corte.  As  I 
have  said,  he  had  cast  aside  his  fantastic  dress,  and  was 
robed  as  a  doctor.  He  still  kept  his  heavy  book  under  his 
arm,  and  the  features  of  his  curious  seamed  face,  and  thin 
bloodless  lips,  were  as  pale  as  if  he  had  arisen  from  the 
dead.  His  eyes  alone  blazed  with  an  unnatural  brilliancy, 
but  he  was  outwardly  calm. 

"  I  came  but  to  see  if  you  were  safe,  signore,  after  last 

night,"  he  said  as  he  took  my  hand. 

"  Thanks,"  I  replied,  offering  him  a  seat,  "  we  are  all 

211 


212  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

quite  safe.  Nothing  happened.  The  Don  was  not  there, 
either  he  had  changed  his  mind,  or  we  were  in  too  strong 
force." 

"  A  little  of  both,  I  should  think,"  he  said  with  a  thin 
smile,  as  he  placed  his  book  on  the  table.  "  Signore,"  he 
went  on,  "  are  you  not  a  little  surprised  and  curious  to  see 
me  as  I  am  ?  " 

"  Well,  Messer  Corte,  I  will  own  to  it.  But  I  am  hon- 
estly glad  that  Fortune  has  given  the  wheel  a  right  turn 
for  you." 

"  It  is  not  Fortune,"  he  said,  "  it  is  something  greater. 
It  is  Fate.  No  chance  turn  of  the  wheel  of  a  sleeping 
goddess.  When  I  fled  from  you,  signore,  on  that  day,"  his 
voice  choked  a  little,  "  I  came  to  Home.  Never  mind  how. 
Here  a  great  man  found  me.  Great  men  pick  up  little 
things  for  their  purposes  sometimes.  And  Matthew  Corte, 
who  is  but  a  little  man,  knows  things  the  great  man  does 
not  know.     Ho !  ho  !  "  and  he  laughed  mirthlessly. 

"  And  that  has  put  crowns  in  your  purse  ?  " 

"  Yes,  crowns  in  my  purse,  crowns  in  my  purse,"  he 
repeated,  and  then  the  old  madness  came  upon  him,  and 
he  rose  and  paced  the  room.  "  I  could  have  done  it  last 
night,  made  the  hilt  of  my  dagger  ring  against  his  heart 
— the  devil — the  devil.  But  he  is  not  to  die  this  way — 
not  thus — not  thus.  He  will  die  as  no  other  man  has 
died,  and  it  will  come  soon,  very  soon — Matthew  Corte 
swears  this." 

He  stopped  suddenly,  and  turned  to  me  with  the  ques- 
tion : 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  a  mad  dog  die  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered,  wondering  what  would  come  next. 

"  Well,  my  dog  is  dead." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  I  began,  but  he  interrupted. 

"Dead,  I  say.     Life  went  from  it  in   writhings  and 


THE  OPAL  RING.  213 

twistings,  in  screams  of  agony — the  little  beast,  poor  little 
beast !  I  would  have  ended  its  misery,  but  I  wanted  to  see. 
I  wanted  to  lind  some  death  so  horrible,  that  it  would  pass 
the  invention  of  man.  And  I  have  found  it,  signore.  See 
this  toy  of  a  knife  !  This  fairy's  dagger  ! "  and  he  held  up 
a  tiny  lancet,  "  only  a  touch  of  it,  and  a  man  would  die  as 
that  dog  did,  in  writhings,  in  twistings,  in  screams " 

I  rose  and  put  my  hand  on  his  arm,  keeping  my  eyes 
steadily  on  his  face. 

"  Corte,"  I  said,  "  this  is  not  like  you.  You  are  not 
well.  Here  is  some  wine,"  and  I  poured  him  out  a  gob- 
let of  Orvieto.  He  drained  it  at  a  gulp,  and  sat  with  his 
head  buried  in  his  hands. 

As  he  sat  there  the  scene  in  the  lonely  hut,  when  I 
went  forth  an  outcast  from  Arezzo  came  back  to  me,  and 
there  rose  before  me  the  dim  light  of  the  torch,  the  mad 
figure  of  my  host,  I  could  almost  hear  the  pattering  of  the 
rain  and  the  dying  hisses  of  the  log  fire  without.  Then  I 
saw  other  things  as  well,  and  a  pity  came  on  me  for  the 
man  before  me.  A  sudden  thought  struck  me,  and  acting 
on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  I  spoke. 

"See  here,  Corte!  You  are  ill,  you  want  rest,  quiet. 
Throw  off  these  dark  thoughts,  and  do  what  I  say.  Two 
miles  from  Colza,  in  the  Bergamasque,  lies  a  small  farm. 
It  is  mine.  Mine  still,  though  mortgaged.  Go  there.  Ask 
for  the  Casino  Savelli,  and  say  you  have  come  from  me — 
from  Ugo  di  Savelli.  You  know  my  name  now,  and  they 
will  want  nothing  more  from  you.  Live  there  until  you 
are  better,  or  as  long  as  you  like.  The  air  is  pure,  in  the 
hills  there  is  the  bouqueton  for  you  to  hunt,  the  life  is  good. 
Will  you  do  this?" 

He  lifted  his  head,  and  looked  at  me.  Then  rising,  he 
placed  one  hand  on  each  of  my  shoulders,  thin  hands  they 
were,  with  long  bony  fingers  that  held  like  claws. 


214  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  Signore,"  he  said  with  emotion,  "  Donati  or  Savelli — 
whoever  you  are — you  are  a  good  man.  I  thank  you,  but 
it  cannot  be.  Good-bye ! "  and  lifting  up  his  book,  he 
turned  and  strode  out  of  the  room,  leaving  me  a  little 
chilled.  I  was  glad  indeed  to  hear  De  Briconnet's  gay 
voice  a  moment  later,  as  he  bustled  in. 

"  Sacre  nom  du  Chien!"  he  exclaimed.  "But  who  is 
that  old  madman,  cavaliere,  who  has  just  left  your  apart- 
ments? I  met  him  on  the  stairs,  mutteriDg  curses  that 
would  make  a  dead  man's  hair  stand  on  end." 

"  You  have  hit  it,  De  Briconnet.  He  is  a  madman.  I 
have  some  acquaintance  with  him,  and  his  story  is  a  sad 
one.  I  believe  he  has  found  a  protector  in  the  Cardinal 
Sforza." 

"  A  queer  sort  of  pet  for  his  eminence  to  keep — thanks," 
and  he  helped  himself  to  the  Orvieto.  "del!  my  head 
still  hums  after  last  night.  So  your  little  affair  was  but  a 
flash  in  the  pan — eh  ?  " 

"Yes,  there  was  no  blood  letting,  as  I  told  you  last 
night." 

"  Oh,  I  remember — no,  I  forget,  last  night  is  too  far 
back  to  recall  anything  with  certainty.  I  want  a  little 
exercise.  Take  pity  on  me.  Come  to  my  rooms,  and  have 
a  turn  with  the  foils.  I  have  a  new  pair  by  Castagni,  the 
Milanese,  and  want  to  try  them." 

"  At  your  service — what !  Not  another  glass !  Then 
come  on." 

It  was  something  to  do,  and  passed  away  a  full  hour. 
After  that  I  came  back  to  my  rooms,  and,  with  an  impatient 
heart,  waited  for  my  meeting  with  D'Amboise.  I  saw  to 
the  packing  of  a  valise,  went  down  and  looked  at  the  horses, 
closely  inspected  the  arms  and  mounts  of  my  men,  who 
looked  capable  of  anything,  and,  in  one  way  and  another, 
managed  to  get  through  the  time,  until  about  the  sixth 


THE  OPAL  RING.  215 

hour,  when  his  eminence  supped.  I  presented  myself  punc- 
tually, and  was  ushered  into  an  inner  apartment  which  I 
had  not  hitherto  seen,  and  where  the  supper  was  evidently 
to  be  held,  for  the  table  was  set  out  there.  I  was  alone  at 
first,  and  seating  myself  on  a  lounge,  looked  about  me. 
The  room  was  small,  but  beautifully  fitted  up,  and  had  all 
the  appearance  of  being  the  cardinal's  private  study.  By 
my  side  was  a  table  on  which  was  spread  a  map,  with  various 
crosses  marked  on  it  in  red  chalk,  the  chalk  itself  lying  on 
the  map,  where  it  had  been  carelessly  flung.  In  front  of 
me  was  an  altar,  surmounted  by  a  silver  crucifix,  bearing 
an  exquisitely  carved  Christ.  Near  it,  in  a  corner,  leaned  a 
long  straight  sword,  from  whose  cross  handle  hung  a  pair 
of  fine  steel  gauntlets.  Resting  on  a  cushion,  placed  on  a 
stand,  was  the  cardinal's  hat,  and  behind  the  stand  I  could 
see  the  brown  outline  of  a  pair  of  riding-boots,  and  the 
glitter  of  burnished  spurs.  In  a  corner  of  the  room  was  a 
large  table,  set  out  with  writing  materials  and  covered  with 
papers.  Running  my  eyes  over  these  idly,  I  finally  let  them 
rest  on  the  supper-table  which  was  arranged  with  lavish 
profusion.  The  curtains  of  the  windows  were  drawn,  and 
the  light  from  eight  tall  candles,  in  jewelled  holders,  fell  on 
the  rose  and  amber  of  the  wine  in  the  quaint  flasks,  on  the 
cheerful  brown  crusts  of  the  pasties,  on  the  gay  enamelling 
of  the  comfitures,  and  on  the  red  gold  of  the  plate.  I 
noticed,  too,  that  the  table  was  set  for  three  only.  It  was 
evidently  a  private  supper,  where  things  were  to  be  dis- 
cussed, and  I  became  glad,  for  I  felt  already  a  step  onwards 
towards  winning  back  my  name,  and — I  seemed  to  see  in 
the  mirror  on  the  wall  to  my  left,  a  vision  of  a  woman  with 

dark  hair,  and  dark  eyes 

"  Your  eminence  !  "  I  fairly  started  up.  I  had  not  ob- 
served the  entrance  of  D'Amboise,  until  he  stood  beside  me, 
and  touched  me  lightly  on  the  shoulder. 


216         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"Dreaming,  cavaliere!  I  did  not  think  you  were  so 
given.  I  am  afraid  that,  late  as  I  am,  I  must  still  keep  you 
from  your  supper,  for  I  expect  another  guest.  Ha !  there 
he  is ! " 

Indeed,  as  he  spoke  the  door  swung  open  noiselessly, 
and  Machiavelli  entered.  He  was  plainly  and  simply  dressed, 
and  wore  no  sword,  merely  a  dagger  at  his  side.  I  thought, 
however,  I  caught  the  gleam  of  a  steel  corselet  under  his 
vest,  as  he  greeted  the  cardinal,  and  D'Amboise's  own  sap- 
phire was  not  more  brilliant,  than  the  single  opal  which 
blazed  on  the  secretary's  hand. 

"  This  is  the  Cavaliere  Donati,  your  excellency,"  said 
the  cardinal,  "  but  I  think  you  know  each  other." 

Machiavelli  extended  his  hand  to  me,  with  his  inscruta- 
ble smile ;  but  as  I  met  his  eyes,  I  saw  that  they  were 
troubled  and  anxious.  He,  however,  spoke  with  easy  un- 
concern. 

"  Well  met,  Messer  Donati.  I  can  only  say  I  am  sorry 
we  parted  so  soon.  I  would  have  given  much  to  have  had 
you  in  Florence  for  a  few  days  more." 

"  Your  excellency  is  most  kind." 

"  St.  Dennis  !  "  said  the  cardinal,  "  but  are  you  gentle- 
men going  to  exchange  compliments,  and  starve  instead  of 
sitting  to  supper.  Burin,  are  we  not  ready  ?  "  and  he  turned 
to  his  grey-haired  major-domo,  who  had  entered  the  room. 

"  Your  eminence  is  served,"  replied  the  man,  and  we 
took  our  seats  on  each  side  of  the  table,  D'Amboise  be- 
tween us. 

"  You  need  not  wait,  Burin,  but  remain  in  the  passage." 
Burin  stepped  out  silently,  and  the  cardinal  said  with  an  air 
of  apology,  "  You  must  not  mind  so  informal  a  repast, 
gentlemen ;  but  we  have  much  to  discuss — pleasure  first, 
however — my  maitre  d'hotel  has  an  artist's  soul,  and  he  will 
have  a  fit  if  we  do  not  touch  this  pasty." 


THE  OPAL  RING.  217 

The  cardinal  ate  and  talked.  I  now  and  then  put  in  a 
word,  but  the  secretary  was  very  silent,  and  hardly  touched 
anything. 

"  St.  Dennis  !"  said  D'Amboise,  "  but  your  excellency  is 
a  poor  trencherman.     And  I  heard  so  much  of  you  !  " 

"  Your  eminence  will  excuse  me,  when  I  say  I  have  had 
bad  news." 

D'Amboise  became  grave  at  once.  "  Let  me  say  how 
sorry  I  am.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  state  ?  "  and  he  glanced 
meaningly  at  the  secretary. 

"  Not  in  the  least ;  but  much  worse — a  domestic  matter. 
I  do  not  see  why  I  should  not  tell  you.  That  cursed 
brigand  Baglioni  has  seized  on  my  ward  Angiola  Castellani, 
and  holds  her  a  fast  prisoner  in  Perugia." 

I  felt  cold  all  over  to  my  feet. 

"  The  Lady  Angiola?  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Precisely,"  said  Machiavelli,  drily ;  "  I  think  you  have 
met." 

"  But  this  can  be  easily  remedied,"  burst  in  D'Amboise  ; 
"  a  demand  from  the  Signory,  a  word  from  France." 

"  Will  not  bring  the  dead  to  life  again,"  put  in  the  sec- 
retary. 

"  My  God  ! "  I  burst  out,  "  she  is  not  dead  ?  " 

"  Worse  than  that,"  he  said  ;  "  it  was  done  by  Cesare's 
orders." 

"  Then  Cesare  Borgia  will  pay  with  his  life  for  this,"  I 
exclaimed. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  Burin 
entered,  bearing  a  silver  flagon,  the  stopper  of  which  was 
made  of  a  quaintly-carved  dragon. 

"  Your  eminence  ordered  this  with  the  second  service," 
he  said,  placing  it  before  D'Amboise,  and  retiring. 

"  I  pledge  you  my  word,  your  excellency,  that  I  will  not 

rest  until  full  reparation  has  been  made  for  this  outrage  on 
15 


218  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLL 

an  ally  of  France,"  said  D'Amboise.     "  I  could  almost  find 
it  in  my  heart  to  let  loose  open  war  for  this." 

"  We  are  not  ready,  your  eminence.  Eest  assured  of  my 
thanks,  and  I  will  gladly  accept  your  aid  ;  but  at  present  we 
can  do  nothing.  This,  however,  has  not  decreased  my  zeal 
for  the  measures  we  are  planning ;  and  with  your  permis- 
sion we  will  now  discuss  these,  and  put  aside  my  private 
trouble." 

For  me,  I  could  hardly  breathe.  A  hundred  feelings 
were  tossing  together  within  me,  all  that  I  could  think  of 
was  to  throw  aside  everything,  to  gallop  to  Perugia,  to  save 
her  at  any  cost.  The  cardinal's  voice  came  to  me  as  from  a 
distance. 

"  I  agree— one  glass  each  of  this  all  round,  and  then— 
cavaliere,  would  you  mind  handing  me  those  glasses  ?  " 

Three  peculiar  shaped,  straw-coloured  Venetian  glasses 
were  close  to  me,  these  I  passed  onwards  mechanically  to 
D'Amboise,  and  he  went  on,  filling  the  glasses  to  the  brim 
with  wine  from  the  flagon,  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  admired  the  rare  workmanship  of  this  flagon  last 
night,  and  his  holiness  sent  it  home  with  me,  full  to  the 
brim  with  this  Falernian,  which  Giulia  Bella  herself  poured 
into  it.  The  wine  is  of  a  priceless  brand,  and  our  lord  was 
good  enough  to  say,  that  if  I  liked  it,  he  would  send  me  all 
in  his  cellars  if  I  only  let  him  know." 

"  We  will  drink  this  then,  with  your  eminence's  permis- 
sion, to  the  success  of  the  undertaking,"  said  the  secretary, 
poising  his  glass  in  the  air. 

"  Right,"  said  D'Amboise.  "  Gentlemen,  success  to  our 
venture ! " 

He  raised  the  wine  to  his  lips.     I  silently  did  the  same. 

"  Hold ! " 

We  stopped  in  amaze,  and  Machiavelli,  who  had  spoken, 
quietly  emptied  his  glass  into  a  bowl  beside  him. 


THE  OPAL  RING.  219 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  said  the  cardinal. 

"  This,  your  eminence,"  and  Machiavelli  held  out  his 
hand,  on  which  an  opal  was  flashing  a  moment  before.  The 
stone  was  still  there,  in  the  gold  band  on  his  finger  ;  but  it 
was  no  longer  ah  opal,  but  something  black  as  jet,  devoid  of 
all  lustre. 

Startled  by  the  movement,  D'Amboise  bent  over  the  ex- 
tended fingers,  and  I  followed  his  example.  The  red  on  the 
cardinal's  cheek  went  out,  and  his  lips  paled  as  he  looked  at 
the  ring. 

"  Poison  !  Heart  of  Jesus  !  "  he  muttered  through  pale 
lips. 

"  Yes,"  said  Machiavelli,  slowly,  withdrawing  his  hand, 
"  the  ring  tells  no  lies.  Diavolo  !  Was  ever  so  grim  a 
jest  ?  Asking  you  to  tell  him  if  your  eminence  liked  the 
wine  !  " 

It  was  too  near  a  matter  to  be  pleasant,  and  the  hideous 
jest,  and  the  treachery  of  Alexander,  filled  me  with  a  hot 
anger.  It  had  the  effect  however  of  pulling  me  together  at 
once,  the  sudden  presence  of  death,  and  the  danger,  recalling 
me  to  myself,  for  all  my  thoughts  of  Angiola.  I  breathed  a 
prayer  of  thanks  for  our  escape.  It  was  a  good  omen.  My 
luck  was  not  yet  run  out. 

D'Amboise  sprang  to  his  feet.  "  By  God  ! "  he  said, 
bringing  his  clenched  fist  into  the  palm  of  his  hand,  "  the 
Borgia  will  rue  this  day ;  here,  give  me  those  glasses."  lie 
seized  them,  and  drawing  back  the  curtains  flung  them  out 
of  the  window,  where  they  fell  into  the  court  outside,  break- 
ing to  splinters  with  a  little  tinkling  crash.  Then  he  emptied 
out  the  contents  of  the  flagon,  and  hurled  it  into  the  grate 
where  it  lay,  its  fine  work  crushed  and  dented,  the  two 
emerald  eyes  of  the  dragon  on  the  stopper  blinking  at  us 
wickedly.  This  outburst  made  D'Amboise  calmer,  and  it 
was  with  more  composure  that  he  struck  a  small  gong,  and 


220         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

reseated  himself  at  the  table.  As  he  did  so  Burin  entered 
the  room. 

"  We  want  a  clear  table,"  said  the  cardinal,  "  remove 
these  things,  and  hand  me  that  map." 

By  the  time  Burin  had  done  this,  his  eminence  showed 
no  further  trace  of  excitement,  except  that  his  lips  were  very 
firmly  set,  and  there  was  a  slight  frown  on  his  forehead  as 
he  smoothed  out  the  roll  of  the  map.  One  corner  kept 
obstinately  turning  up,  and  as  Machiavelli  quietly  put  his 
hand  on  it  to  keep  it  in  position,  he  said,  "  See  !  The 
rina:  is  as  it  was  before." 

We  looked  at  the  opal,  and  sure  enough  the  poison-tint 
was  gone,  and  under  the  pale,  semi-opaque  blue  of  its  sur- 
face, lights  of  red,  of  green,  and  of  orange,  flitted  to 
and  fro. 

"  It  is  wonderful,"  I  said,  and  D'Amboise  smiled  grimly 
to  himself.  The  cardinal  placed  his  finger  on  the  map, 
where  the  port  of  Sinigaglia  was  marked. 

"  Is  it  here  he  lands  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Machiavelli,  "  and  then  straight  to 
Eome." 

"  You  have  sure  information  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  will  your  excellency  instruct  M.  Donati  ?  As 
arranged,  I  pledge  an  immediate  movement  on  the  part  of 
Tremouille,  at  the  first  sign  of  success." 

"  You  have  agreed,  cavaliere,  to  undertake  the  task  ? " 
and  the  secretary  turned  to  me. 

"  I  have,  your  excellency." 

Machiavelli  then  went  on,  speaking  incisively,  wasting 
no  words.  "  In  ten  days  or  thereabouts  from  now,  Mon- 
signore  Bozardo,  the  Papal  envoy  to  the  Grand  Turk,  will 
land  at  Sinigaglia  and  start  for  Eome.  He  brings  with  him 
a  letter  and  a  sum  of  money,  forty  thousand  ducats.    These 


THE  OPAL  RING.  221 

are  for  his  holiness.     Bozardo  and  the  letter  may  reach,  if 
you  like ;  the  ducats  must  not." 

"  Where  are  they  to  go  ?  " 

"  To  the  Duke  de  la  Tremouille." 

"  I  follow." 

"Understand  that  you  take  this  venture  at  your  own 
risk." 

I  saw  what  he  meant,  if  I  failed  I  was  to  be  sacrificed, 
and  my  mind  was  made  up.  I  would  accept,  with  a  condi- 
tion. 

"  I  quite  understand — there  is  one  thing." 

"What?" 

"Ten  days  is  a  wide  margin.  I  will  stop  Bozardo  or 
die ;  but  I  propose  effecting  the  release  of  the  Lady  Angiola 
as  well." 

A  glad  look  came  into  Machiavelli's  eyes ;  but  the  cardi- 
nal flashed  out — 

"JVom  du  (liable!  What  grasshopper  have  you  got  in 
your  head  ?  Leave  the  demoiselle  to  us.  You  cannot  do 
two  things  at  once." 

M  Then  with  respect  to  your  eminence  I  decline  the  affair 
of  the  ducats." 

D'Amboise  looked  at  me  in  sheer  amazement. 

"  You  decline — you  dare ; "  but  Machiavelli  interposed. 

"  A  moment,  your  eminence.  Can  we  get  another  agent  ?  " 

"  Not  now ;  it  is  too  late  now." 

"  And  we  have  no  money  for  active  measures  ?  " 

"  Not  a  livre." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  cavaliere  has  us  in  his  hands, 
and  we  had  better  agree.  After  all  he  only  risks  his  head 
twice,  instead  of  once." 

D'Amboise  bit  his  lip,  and  with  a  frown  began  to  drum 
on  the  table  with  his  fingers.  I  sat  silent  but  resolved,  and 
Machiavelli,  rising,  went  to  the  writing  table,  pulling  out 


222  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

from  his  vest  a  parchment.  In  this  he  rapidly  wrote  some- 
thing, and  dusting  it  over  with  drying  powder  held  it  to  the 
flame  of  a  candle.  Then  he  turned  back  leisurely,  and,  as 
he  resumed  his  seat,  handed  me  the  paper. 

"  I  have  just  filled  in  your  name  on  this  blank  safe-con- 
duct through  the  Papal  States.  I  took  the  precaution  of 
obtaining  this  from  Sf orza  to-day.     When  can  you  start  ?  " 

"  Now,  your  excellency,"  and  I  put  the  safe-conduct  se- 
curely by. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  agree,"  said  the  cardinal  suddenly. 
"  If  it  fails,  all  is  lost ;  if  it  succeeds " 

"There  will  probably  be  a  new  Conclave,  your  emi- 
nence," said  Machiavelli. 

D'Amboise's  forehead  flushed  dark  at  the  hidden  mean- 
ing in  the  Florentine's  words.  But  we  all  knew  that  the 
chair  of  St.  Peter  was  ever  before  his  eves ;  and  for  this  he 
schemed  and  saved,  although  profuse  in  his  habits.  George 
of  Amboise  never  gained  his  desire ;  but  when  he  died  he 
left  a  fortune  of  eleven  millions.    This  however  was  yet  to  be. 

I  had  already  arisen  to  take  my  leave  as  Machiavelli 
spoke,  and  the  cardinal,  taking  no  notice  of  his  last  remark, 
turned  to  me,  with  something  of  his  old  good  temper.  Per- 
haps the  hint  of  Florentine  support  at  the  next  papal  elec- 
tion was  not  without  its  softening  effect. 

"  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  you  were  ready  to  start  at 
once,  cavaliere?" 

"  Yes,  your  eminence." 

"  Then  let  me  wish  you  good  fortune — adieu  ! " 

"  Your  eminence  has  my  grateful  thanks." 

I  bowed  to  D'Amboise  and  the  secretary,  and  withdrew ; 
but  as  the  door  swung  behind  me,  I  heard  Machiavelli's 
voice. 

"  The  air  of  Rome  does  not  suit  me,  your  eminence. 
No,  thanks.     No  more  Falernian." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BRICO. 

I  had  gained  my  point  without  waste  of  words  or  time, 
but  it  was  to  be  my  way  or  not  at  all.  My  lady  was  in  dire 
peril.  Against  this  could  I  for  a  moment  weigh  any  thought 
of  myself?  What  cared  I  whether  France,  Spain,  or  the 
Borgia  ruled  in  Italy?  What  mattered  it  to  me  whether 
one  crafty  statesman  held  the  reins  of  power,  or  another 
outdid  him  in  craft  and  filched  away  his  bone  ?  My  lady 
was  in  danger,  and  my  honour  might  rot,  and  the  Most 
Christian,  the  Most  Catholic,  and  Most  Holy  wolves  might 
tear  each  other's  throats  out  before  I  would  move  a  finger, 
take  one  step,  until  she  was  free.  If  I  had  to  pull  down 
Baglioni's  hold  with  my  hands,  I  would  free  her.  If  a  hair 
of  her  head  was  injured  I  should  take  such  vengeance  as 
man  never  heard  of,  and  then — my  foot  caught  in  the  car- 
peting of  the  passage,  I  tripped  up  and  fell  heavily,  the 
shock  sending  stars  before  my  eyes. 

"  Too  much  haste,  cavaliere,"  and  a  hand  helped  me  to 
rise.     As  I  gained  my  feet  I  saw  Machiavelli  beside  me. 

"  I  followed  you  at  once,"  he  said,  "  but  you  went  so 
fast,  I  had  missed  you  but  for  that  lucky  trip.  A  word 
more — if  you  free  her,  take  her  to  the  convent  of  St.  Jerome, 
two  miles  north-west  of  Magione — the  abbess  will  do  the 
rest.     I  will  see  to  that." 

"  Very  well.     God  grant  I  succeed  !  " 

223 


224         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"Amen  to  that,"  and  Machiavelli  took  my  hand. 
"  Adieu,  cavaliere,  once  again,  I  must  go  back  to  his  emi- 
nence, we  have  a  point  or  two  to  discuss  yet,  but  no  more 
Falernian.  Corpo  di  Bacco  !  I  grow  cold  when  I  think  of 
our  escape." 

"  Good-bye,  your  excellency,"  and  we  parted. 

I  went  on  with  a  little  more  care,  and  being  a  trifle 
cooled  by  my  fall,  was  able  to  think  better.  By  the  time  I 
reached  my  apartments  I  had  decided  on  my  route.  I 
should  leave  by  the  Porta  del  Popolo,  keep  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  river  as  far  as  Borghetto,  there  cross  the  Tiber, 
and  on  to  Perugia  in  a  straight  line  by  Narni  and  Todi.  It 
was  close  on  three  and  thirty  leagues ;  but  I  did  not  mean 
to  spare  horseflesh.  As  I  reached  the  entrance  which  led 
to  my  rooms,  I  found  Jacopo  and  my  men  ready,  and  Castor 
whinnied  a  glad  welcome,  pawing  at  the  air  with  his  fore- 
foot in  his  impatience.  St.  Armande  and  the  abbe,  already 
mounted  and  attended  by  a  couple  of  men,  were  a  little  to 

the  right. 

"  I  will  not  keep  you  a  moment,  chevalier,"  I  called  out 
as  I  passed  him,  and  running  up  the  stairs  to  my  room,  be- 
gan to  dress  rapidly.  Jacopo  attended  me,  and  as  he  handed 
me  my  sword,  pointed  to  the  open  window. 

"  A  fair  night  for  a  long  ride,  excellency  !  " 

"  Yes,  the  moon  stands  well — my  cloak — quick,"  and  we 
descended  the  stairs. 

"  All  ready,  Jacopo  ?  " 

"Your  excellency." 

"  Steady,  Castor,"  and  I  swung  into  the  saddle. 

There  was  the  jingle  of  bit  chains,  the  clank  of  steel 
scabbards,  the  ring  of  iron-shod  hoofs  on  the  pavement,  and 
with  St.  Armande  by  my  side  and  my  troop  behind  me,  I 
left  the  Palazzo  Corneto. 

To  avoid  risk  of  stoppage  I  did  not  go  down  by  the 


EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BRICO.  225 

Alessandrina  to  the  Ponte  di  San  Angelo,  but  determined 
to  cross  at  the  Eipetta.  Therefore,  crossing  the  Borgi  di 
San  Angelo,  we  went  northwards  by  the  V.  d.  Tre  Papazzi, 
up  the  Via  Cancellieri,  and  then  turning  to  the  right,  rode 
up  the  Via  Crescenzio.  To  our  right,  as  we  rode,  the  moon 
hung  over  San  Angelo  and  the  dark  outlines  of  the  gloomy 
stronghold  loomed  like  a  vast  shadow  of  evil  above  us.  In 
front  of  us  lay  the  Tiber,  and  the  long  line  of  fires  of  the 
charcoal-burners.  The  latter  overhung  by  a  blue  cloud  of 
smoke,  into  which  the  forked  flames  leaped  and  danced.  At 
the  bridge  we  were  stopped  by  the  guard,  but  the  safe-con- 
duct set  us  free,  and  we  crossed  at  a  slow  pace.  Above  the 
hollow  beat  of  the  horses'  hoofs,  I  heard  the  waters  churn- 
ing around  the  piers,  and  looking  over  the  side,  saw  the  grey 
river  as  it  hummed  past  below  me,  flecked  with  white 
foam-tipped  waves,  chasing  each  other  in  lines  of  light 
across  its  surface,  or,  as  they  broke,  catching  the  moon  rays, 
and  dying  in  a  hundred  colours  with  an  angry  hiss. 

Over  the  bridge  at  last !  And  here  Jacopo  with  a  sud- 
den "  Cospitto !  "  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  galloped  off 
down  the  Via  Toma.  So  unexpected  was  the  movement, 
that  it  almost  brought  us  to  a  halt,  and  St.  Armande  called 
out — 

"  He  is  gone ! " 

"  Not  he,  chevalier,"  I  answered,  "  come  on,"  and  turn- 
ing to  the  left  we  trotted  up  the  Eipetta.  I  knew  Jacopo 
too  well  not  to  feel  sure  he  would  catch  us  up  again,  and 
that  he  had  some  definite  object,  which  was  not  desertion, 
in  going  off  as  he  did.  Yet  I  could  not  help  being  put  out 
by  his  action,  and  resolved  to  give  him  the  rough  side  of 
my  tongue  when  he  came  back.  We  were  almost  up  to 
the  Porta  del  Popolo  when  he  returned,  coming  with  a 
loose  rein,  and  as  he  drew  in  with  the  troop,  I  turned 
round. 


226         THE  nONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  How  now,  sirrah  !     What  does  this  prank  mean  ?  " 

"  Pardon,  excellency,  it  was  no  bee  that  stung  me.  1 
suddenly  remembered  that  we  should  have  little  luck  on  our 
journey  if  I  did  not  pay  her  dues  to  our  Lady  of  the  Foun- 
tain." 

"  Our  Lady  of  the  Fountain  ?  " 

"  Excellency,  the  fountain  of  Trevi.  Does  not  your  wor- 
ship know  that  no  one  should  leave  Some  without  dropping 
a  piece  of  silver  in  her  basin  ?  " 

"  Indeed !  I  was  not  aware  of  it,  but  remember — no 
more  sudden  thoughts  like  this." 

"  Excellency ! " 

I  said  no  more,  and  passing  through  the  ruined  Porta 
del  Popolo  where  the  breaches  made  by  Charles'  cannon 
were  still  unrepaired,  we  took  the  Flaminian  Way,  and  gal- 
loped down  the  road  almost  in  darkness  owing  to  the  shad- 
ows thrown  by  the  high  walls  on  each  side  of  us.  We  re- 
crossed  the  Tiber  at  the  Ponte  Molle,  and,  still  keeping  the 
Via  Flaminia,  turned  our  horses'  heads  in  the  direction  of 
Castel  Nuovo. 

It  was  a  wonderful  night.  There  was  no  breeze,  except 
that  which  we  made  ourselves  as  we  galloped  along.  Not  a 
cloud  obscured  the  sky,  arching  deep  blue  over  the  yellow 
moon,  now  in  her  full  strength.  To  the  left  the  beacon  fire 
from  the  top  of  the  Tor  di  Vergara  blazed  like  a  red  star 
low  down  in  the  horizon,  and  before  us  was  the  white  road 
stretching  in  a  ghostly  line,  its  ups  and  downs  accentuated 
by  the  moonlight.  The  Tiber  lay  to  our  right,  but  owing 
to  the  undulation  of  the  ground  we  could  not  see  it,  although 
an  occasional  flash  showed  us  where  the  waters  reflected  the 
rays  of  the  moon. 

Not  the  best  horse  in  the  world  could  keep  up  the  pace 
we  were  going  for  long,  and  I  was  old  enough  soldier  to 
know  that  our  speed  must  be  regulated  by  the  slowest  beast 


EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BKICO.  227 

if  we  wanted  to  reach  in  full  strength,  so  I  slackened  rein  to 
a  walk  and  gave  the  animals  a  rest. 

Excepting  once,  when  Jacopo  rode  off  to  make  his  duty 
to  the  Fountain  of  Trevi,  I  had  not  exchanged  a  word  with 
St.  Armande,  indeed  I  was  in  no  mind  to  talk  ;  but  he  broke 
the  silence  with  a  question. 

"  Do  we  ride  all  night,  cavaliere?" 

"  We  have  many  leagues  to  go,  St.  Armande." 

"  del !  "  he  muttered  under  his  breath,  and  I  heard  the 
abbe  as  he  leaned  forward  whisper,  "  Courage !  would  you 
give  way  now  ?    Courage  !  " 

Clearly  there  was  a  mystery  here  to  which  I  had  no  clue, 
and  it  troubled  me.  I  glanced  at  St.  Armande,  and  through 
the  moonlight  saw  the  white  of  his  cheek,  showing  all  the 
paler  for  the  black  patch  he  wore  transversely  across  it ;  but 
looking  at  him  did  not  explain  matters. 

"  What  the  devil  does  this  mean  ?  "  I  said  half  aloud  to 
mvself. 

"  Did  you  speak  ?  " 

"  Merely  something  to  myself,  chevalier.  Diavolo  !  But 
this  is  a  dull  ride." 

"  Do  you  think  so?  "  and  his  tone  softened  suddenly. 

I  made  no  reply,  but  stirred  up  Castor,  and  we  jogged 
along.  I  left  the  mystery  to  take  care  of  itself,  and  mapped 
out  a  line  of  action.  I  would  take  only  two  men  with  me 
into  Perugia,  and  send  the  rest  with  St.  Armande  to  the 
convent  of  St.  Jerome  to  await  the  result  of  my  attempt  to 
free  Angiola.  It  sounded  like  foolishness  to  give  St.  Ar- 
mande the  control  of  the  stronger  party,  especially  if  he 
meant  treachery ;  but  this  I  was  persuaded  he  did  not.  On 
the  other  hand  a  following  of  six  troopers  was  a  trifle  too 
many  to  pay  a  peaceful  visit  to  Baglioni,  and  might  arouse 
suspicion,  while  they  were  too  few  to  attempt  open  force. 
In  short,  if  I  could  not  do  what  I  wanted  with  two  men,  I 


228  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

would  not  be  able  to  effect  it  with  six  or  a  dozen,  and  made 
up  my  mind  to  split  our  party,  either  after  crossing  the 
Paglia,  or  beyond  at  San  Fortunato. 

In  this  manner,  sometimes  galloping,  sometimes  trot- 
ting, and  at  other  times  walking  our  horses  to  give  them  a 
rest,  we  reached  Castel  Nuovo  but  did  not  enter  the  town, 
skirting  it  by  our  right,  although  one  of  the  troopers  sug- 
gested our  going  westwards  by  Campagnano,  a  useless  detour 
as  it  seemed  to  me.  We  passed  the  little  town  exactly  at 
midnight,  and  the  chime  of  bells  striking  the  hour  fell 
pleasantly  on  our  ears.  A  short  way  beyond  we  found  the 
road  so  cut  into  ruts  and  fissures  that  it  was  not  possible  to  go 
at  any  other  than  a  snail's  pace,  so  that  within  the  next  two 
hours  we  barely  covered  as  many  leagues.  The  moon  was 
now  on  the  wane,  the  road  became  worse,  and  one  or  two 
of  the  horses  showed  signs  of  fatigue.  Jacopo  rode  up  be- 
side me. 

"  By  your  leave,  excellency  !  We  have  the  road  by  So- 
ratte  to  cross  soon,  and  in  the  coming  darkness  may  possibly 
lose  our  way.  I  would  suggest,  therefore,  that  we  halt  here 
until  dawn.  It  will  rest  the  horses,  and  with  the  light  we 
could  press  on." 

"  Very  well.     Hark  !     Is  not  that  the  sound  of  water  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  worship." 

"  Then  we  will  stop  there." 

A  few  yards  beyond  we  came  to  a  ruined  temple,  near 
which  a  fountain  was  bubbling.  Here  I  gave  the  order  to 
halt,  and  in  less  time  than  I  take  to  write  this,  the  troopers 
had  sprung  to  earth,  the  saddle-girths  were  loosened,  and 
all  the  preparations  for  a  two  hours'  halt  begun. 

I  shared  a  little  wine  with  St.  Armande  and  the  abbe, 
and  the  former,  rolling  himself  up  in  his  cloak,  leaned  his 
back  against  a  fallen  pillar,  and  seemed  to  drop  off  at  once 
into  sleep. 


EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BRICO.  229 

The  abbe  followed  his  example ;  but  my  mind  was  too 
impatient  for  rest,  and  I  walked  up  and  down,  watching 
the  ending  of  the  moon,  until  it  finally  sank  out  of  sight, 
and  darkness  fell  upon  us. 

Dark  as  it  was  around  me,  my  mind  was  in  a  still  greater 
darkness,  for  I  was  unable  to  think  of  any  plan  by  which  I 
could  gain  access  to  Angiola,  after  reaching  Perugia.  Time, 
too,  was  short ;  but  that  did  not  matter,  for  I  was  prepared 
to  let  the  affair  of  the  ducats  slide,  rather  than  lose  any 
chance  of  rescuing  her. 

A  straw  yet  remained.  Luck  might  be  on  my  side  ;  and 
with  luck  and  a  strong  heart  one  might  do  anything.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  content  myself  for  the  present 
with  this.  Until  I  reached  Perugia  I  could  develop  no 
plan.  So  I  paced  up  and  down  with  an  unsettled  mind, 
and  finally,  seating  myself  on  a  stone,  awaited  the  morning, 
alternately  nodding  and  awakening  with  a  start. 

At  last!  The  east  began  to  whiten,  and  getting  up 
stiffly,  I  touched  Jacopo  with  the  end  of  my  sword.  He 
jumped  up  with  an  exclamation,  and  recognising  me,  be- 
gan to  apologise.  This  I  cut  short,  and  bade  him  arouse 
the  men. 

"  This  instant,  your  worship.  Cospetto !  To  think  I 
should  have  overslept  myself !  Ho,  sluggards !  Buffaloes ! 
Awake !  Think  you  that  you  are  going  to  snore  here  all 
night  ?  "  and  he  began  to  stir  the  men  up.  They  rose  will- 
ingly enough,  with  tremendous  yawnings,  and  stretching  of 
arms,  and  we  were  soon  on  the  march  again,  through  the 
increasing  daylight. 

The  coming  day  seemed  to  warm  the  hearts  of  the  men, 
and  one  of  them  broke  into  song,  the  chorus  being  taken  up 
by  the  others  as  we  jogged  along.  When  this  had  lasted 
some  little  time,  I  gave  Castor's  reins  a  shake,  and  off  we 
went  at  a  smart  gallop. 


230  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

Shortly  after  passing  San  Oreste  the  road  led  along  the 
side  of  Soratte,  and,  the  morning  being  young,  besides  very 
bright  and  clear,  we  had  a  glorious  view.  To  the  left  lay 
Civita  Castellana,  the  walls  of  the  new  citadel  standing  high 
above  the  town,  which  lay  in  the  middle  of  a  network  of 
deep  ravines ;  to  the  right  and  behind  us  the  Sabine  Hills 
extended  in  long,  airy  lines,  and  the  wooded  heights  of 
Pellachio  and  San  Gennaro,  where,  close  to  Palembara,  was 
an  old  castle  of  our  house,  rose  to  the  south-east.  Above  us 
was  the  monastery  of  St.  Silvestre,  and  Soratte  itself  reached 
towards  where  Borghetto  stood,  on  a  bend  of  the  Tiber,  in  a 
series  of  descending  peaks.  Cool  puffs  of  air  caught  us,  and 
freshened  the  horses  as  well  as  our  hearts,  and  it  was  a  cheery 
party  that  finally  reached  the  Ponte  Felice,  and  entered  the 
town.  Here  our  safe-conduct  again  stood  us  in  good  stead. 
Indeed,  we  had  difficulty  in  getting  away,  for  the  Captain 
Lippi,  who  held  Borghetto  for  the  Borghia,  wished  to  press 
his  hospitality  on  us  for  a  few  days ;  but  on  my  eventually 
taking  him  aside,  and  whispering  to  him  that  I  was  bound 
on  a  confidential  mission,  he  gave  in,  but  with  some  little 
reluctance.  He,  however,  invited  us  to  share  his  table  at 
dinner.  I  accepted,  but  St.  Armande,  who  was  looking  very 
wearied,  declined,  and  dined  quietly  with  the  abbe  at  the 
"  Silver  Eel,"  where  I  quartered  my  men. 

Lippi  was  an  old  soldier  risen  from  the  ranks,  with  a 
head  more  full  of  drill  than  suspicion  ;  but  in  order  to  re- 
move any  such  weed  that  might  be  growing  there,  I  affected 
to  be  so  delighted  with  his  conversation  at  dinner,  that  I 
begged  the  favour  of  his  accompanying  me  for  a  league  or 
so  on  my  way,  after  we  had  dined.  To  this  he  agreed  with 
alacrity,  and  I  was  subsequently  sorry  for  my  pains,  for  the 
old  bore  did  not  quit  me  until  we  had  all  but  reached  the 
Nera,  and  saw  the  campanile  of  St.  Juvenalis  rising  above 
Narni.     We  did  this  portion  of  the  journey  at  a  rapid  pace, 


EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BRICO.  231 

as  I  wanted,  if  possible,  to  shake  off  the  captain,  but,  mounted 
on  an  Apulian,  he  stuck  to  me  like  a  burr,  dinning  into  my 
ears  his  opinion  as  to  how  the  cross-bow  was  a  weapon  as 
superior  to  the  arquebus  as  the  mangonel  was  above  even 
Novarro's  new  cannon.  At  length  he  wished  us  the  day 
and  departed,  and  the  horses,  scenting  the  end  of  their 
day's  journey,  put  on  fresh  speed  as  we  galloped  through 
the  oaks  that  studded  the  valley  of  the  Nera.  The  river 
here  was  hemmed  into  a,  narrow  ravine,  and  crossing  by  an 
ancient  bridge  of  three  spans,  supposed  to  have  been  built 
by  the  Romans,  we  climbed  up  the  steep  ascent  that  led  to 
Narni,  and  there  found  food  and  lodging  for  both  man  and 
beast,  at  an  albergo,  the  name  of  which,  somehow,  I  have 
forgotten.  St.  Armande  was  quite  worn  out,  and  I  saw  he 
was  unfitted  for  any  long  strain.  We  supped  together,  and 
he  retired  almost  at  once.  After  supper  I  had  a  detailed 
examination  of  the  horses,  and  found  that  one  of  them  had 
a  sore  back.  The  trooper  who  owned  him,  vowed  he  would 
not  part  with  him,  so  I  had  to  dismiss  the  man,  which  I 
did.  This  reduced  my  fighting  strength  to  six  men,  in- 
cluding Jacopo.  I  did  not  include  St.  Armande  and  his 
followers  in  estimating  this,  putting  them  down  to  so  much 
encumbrance,  of  which  I  would  soon  take  care  to  be  rid.  I 
was  anxious,  however,  to  hurry  on,  and  so  altered  my  origi- 
nal plans  a  little,  and  in  the  morning,  after  we  had  gone 
about  a  league,  I  turned  to  St.  Armande,  and  said : 

"  Chevalier,  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  press  on  with  all 
speed.     I  want  you,  therefore,  to  do  me  a  favour." 

"  Anything  you  like,  cavaliere ;  but  we  do  not  part,  do 

we?" 

"  It  is  this.  I  am  going  on  at  once  ;  I  want  you  to  take 
four  of  my  troopers,  and  with  your  own  following  make  for 
the  convent  of  St.  Jerome.  It  lies  a  little  beyond  Magione. 
Your  arrival  will  be  expected.     If  not,  say  you  are  awaiting 


232  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

me.  Await  me  for  a  week.  If  I  do  not  come  then,  go  back 
to  Rome,  and  tell  the  cardinal  what  you  have  done." 

"  But  I  thought  I  was  to  go  with  you,  and  share  your 
adventure." 

"  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour,  St.  Armande,  that  you 
will  share  in  the  adventure  for  which  I  agreed  you  should 
come — share  up  to  the  elbows — but  you  will  spoil  every- 
thing if  you  do  not  do  what  I  say." 

"  There  is  no  danger  to  you  ?  " 

"  No  more  than  there  is  to  you ;  in  one  word,  St.  Ar- 
mande, do  you  agree  or  not?" 

"  Very  well." 

"  Then  there  is  no  time  to  lose.     Jacopo ! " 

"  Excellency." 

"  Pick  out  a  man,  and  he,  you,  the  lackey,  and  myself, 
will  go  on  ahead.  The  rest  can  follow.  I  have  given  all 
other  orders  to  the  signor,  St.  Armande." 

"  There  is  Bande  Nere,  your  worship." 

"  I  am  ready,  cavaliere ; "  and  a  tall,  thin,  grey-mous- 
tached  trooper  saluted  as  he  spoke. 

He  looked  the  man  I  wanted.  My  lackey  was  a  stout 
horseman,  and  at  a  piuch  might  hold  a  sword  as  well  as  he 
held  my  valise.  So,  shaking  hands  with  St.  Armande,  I 
put  spurs  to  Castor,  and  we  dashed  off.  Turning  the  corner 
of  a  belt  of  forest  land,  I  looked  back  and  waved  my  hand 
in  further  adieu  to  the  chevalier.  I  caught  the  flutter  of 
the  white  handkerchief  the  young  dandy  carried,  as  he 
loosed  it  to  the  air  in  reply  to  my  salute,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment the  trees  hid  them  from  view. 

We  rode  hard  now,  Castor  going  almost  as  freely  as 
when  we  started.  Indeed,  I  would  have  far  outpaced  the 
others,  if  I  did  not  let  him  feel  the  bit  once,  and  the  noble 
beast,  as  if  knowing  his  duty,  required  no  further  warning 
not  to  outstrip  his  companions. 


EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BRICO.  233 

Going  as  we  were  now  Perugia  was  but  a  few  hours 
away ;  but  the  pace  was  too  great  to  last  long,  and  from 
Todi  to  Perugia  there  were  nine  leagues  and  a  trifle  over  of 
an  ascending  road.  Castor  might  do  it,  the  others  I  was 
sure  would  not.  In  order,  therefore,  to  rest  the  horses,  as 
well  as  to  avoid  question,  I  resolved  that  we  should  dine  at 
Eosaro,  and  after  an  hour  or  so  of  rest  press  forwards,  pass- 
ing by  Todi,  and  travelling  all  night,  so  as  to  reach  Perugia 
in  the  morning.  If  we  went  faster,  we  would  only  reach  at 
night,  and  so  late  as  to  find  entrance  into  the  town  impos- 
sible. 

"We  clattered  past  the  villages  of  San  Gemini  and  Castel 
Todino,  and  about  noon  drew  up  our  now  somewhat  blown 
beasts  at  the  gates  of  the  "  Man-at-Arms,"  the  only  inn  in 
the  village. 

It  was  a  poor  place  I  saw  at  a  glance,  and  as  we  pulled 
up,  a  crowd  of  yokels  in  holiday  attire  gathered  around  us. 
The  inn  seemed  full,  too,  for  the  yard  swarmed  with  people, 
and  a  half -score  heads  of  contadini  were  at  each  window, 
staring  at  us  open-eyed. 

As  I  took  this  in,  the  landlord  came  running  out,  cap  in 
hand  and  full  of  apologies. 

"  Oltime  !  But  my  house  is  full  to  the  garrets,  signore ; 
and  it  is  nothing  I  can  do  for  you  to-day.  To-morrow  is 
the  feast  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Consolation,  and  all  the  country 
is  going  to  Todi " 

"  I  do  not  want  to  stay.  We  merely  halt  here  to  bait 
our  horses  and  to  dine.     Can  you  not  manage  that  ?  " 

"  If  that  is  all,  excellency,  yes,  oh,  yes.  The  beasts, 
they  can  rest  anywhere,  and  there  is  a  polenta  and  room 
for  your  excellency's  followers ;  but  for  yourself,  signore," 
and  he  shook  his  head  mournfully. 

"  What  is  the  difficulty  ?  "    And  I  dismounted,  my  men 
following  suit. 
16 


234  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  But  this,  signore.  There  is  but  one  room  in  the  house 
you  could  use,  and  that  is  occupied  by  two  gentlemen  of  the 
army.  Violent  men,  signore,  who  will  not  allow  any  one 
to  share  it.  Lasso  me  I  But  not  a  paul  have  they  paid  me 
as  yet ! " 

"  Give  them  my  compliments,  and  say  that  the  Cava- 
liere  Donati  begs  to  be  allowed  a  corner  of  their  table  for 
his  dinner." 

"  Alas,  signore !  It  is  useless.  They  have  been  here 
two  days " 

"  Then  it  is  time  they  made  room  for  other  travellers. 
Give  my  message,  landlord,  and  say  I  am  following." 

Mine  host  trotted  off  with  considerable  misgivings  ex- 
pressed in  his  face,  and  followed  by  my  lackey,  bearing  my 
valise,  I  went  after  him  at  a  slower  pace. 

When  I  reached  the  room,  which  could  hardly  be  missed, 
seeing  it  was  the  only  one  in  the  house  that  had  any  pre- 
tence of  appearance,  I  found  the  door  open,  and  heard  a 
half-drunken  voice  shouting : 

"  Begone,  dog !  Blood  of  a  king  !  But  are  two  gentle- 
men to  be  disturbed  because  a  signore  with  a  long  name 
wants  to  dine  ?  Skull  of  St.  Jerome  !  Did  you  ever  hear 
the  like  of  this  ?  Cospetto  !  Tell  him  to  go  hang,  or  I'll 
spit  him  like  a  lark." 

I  heard  enough  to  recognise  the  voice,  and  turning  to 
the  lackey  said  : 

"  Send  Jacopo  here  at  once  with  a  stout  cudgel — run." 

The  man  went  off  on  the  double,  and  I  remained  with- 
out the  door  listening  with  amusement  to  the  ancient 
Brico's  bluster,  for  it  was  he,  and  he  was  having  all  the 
talk,  his  companion,  whoever  he  was,  now  and  then  giving 
a  grunt  of  assent. 

"  Mitre  and  cowl !  Hell  and  sulphur !  Will  you  be- 
gone, fool,  or  shall  I  slit  your  windpipe  ?  "  and  I  heard  him 


EXIT  THE  ANCIENT  BRICO.  235 

beat  the  table  with  his  fist.     "Out,   rascal,"  he  roared, 
"  and  bring  in  another  skin  of  chianti." 

Out  came  the  wretched  inn-keeper,  and  seeing  me  at 
the  door  began  to  urge  me  to  go ;  but  at  this  moment  Jaco- 
po  came  running  up  with  a  stout  stick  in  his  hand,  and 
pushing  the  landlord  on  one  side  I  stepped  into  the  room, 
followed  by  Jacopo. 

Brico's  friend,  who  was  quite  drunk  as  it  seemed,  had 
fallen  asleep  whilst  he  was  talking,  and  lay  with  his  head 
between  his  arms,  half  on  the  table,  half  on  his  chair.  The 
ancient  was  seated  with  an  empty  skin  before  him,  and  rose 
in  wrath  as  I  entered. 

"  What  the ,"  he  began  in  a  wine-blown  voice,  and 

then  his  face  paled  a  little  as  he  saw  me. 

I  did  not  waste  words.  "Cudgel  me  this  fellow  out, 
Jacopo,"  I  said,  and  Jacopo  attended  to  the  task  as  if  he 
loved  it.  The  ancient  attempted  to  draw  his  sword,  but  it 
was  useless,  and  a  minute  or  two  later  he  was  flung  out  into 
the  courtyard,  beaten  to  a  jelly  and  howling  for  mercy.  lie 
lay  where  he  was  flung,  too  bruised  to  move. 

His  friend  slept  through  it  all ;  but  as  my  lackey  lifted 
up  his  head  in  an  attempt  to  eject  him,  I  recognised  Piero 
Luigi,  and  felt  that  some  more  stringent  action  than  I  had 
taken  with  Brico  should  be  adopted  here. 

"  This  man  is  a  thief,"  I  said  to  the  landlord,  "  and  his 
friend  little  better." 

"  Then  to  the  stocks  they  go ;  and  now,"  almost  screamed 
the  host,  "  not  a  paul  have  they  paid  me,  signore,  I  swear 
this,  the  bandits.     Hi !    Giuseppe  !    Giovanni !  " 

A  couple  of  stout  knaves  came  running  in,  and  the  inn- 
keeper, trembling  with  anger  and  fear  combined,  yelled  out : 

"  Bind  this  brigand  and  his  companion  securely,  keep 
them  in  the  stables,  and  to-morrow  we  will  hale  them  be- 
fore the  podesta." 


236  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

I  enjoyed  my  dinner  comfortably,  and  on  going  out  to 
see  after  the  horses  was  met  by  Bande  Nere,  who  took  me 
aside  to  where,  in  a  corner  of  the  stables,  two  men  were 
lying  securely  bound.  One  was  Luigi,  still  happily  drunk. 
The  other  was  the  ancient,  whose  bones  must  have  ached 
sorely,  for  he  had  been  beaten  sober,  and  was  feeling  the  full 
effect  of  the  cudgel  and  the  ropes.  He  was  groaning  terri- 
bly, and,  being  sorry  for  the  wretch,  I  was  about  to  inter- 
cede for  him  with  the  landlord,  when  Jacopo  interposed 
with  a  whispered — 

"  Let  the  scotched  snake  lie,  signore,  he  knows  tod 
much." 

I  let  wisdom  take  its  course,  and  left  the  ancient  to  his 
sorrows. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"A   BROWN  PAUL — A   LITTLE   COPPER." 

Such  as  they  were,  the  troubles  of  the  ancient  and  his 
crony  Luigi  could  not  have  ended  soon,  for  although  at 
first  they  were  surrounded  by  a  jeering  crowd,  fresh  things 
caught  the  minds  of  the  people  after  a  little  time,  and  they 
were  left  to  themselves.  As  the  following  day  was  a  holiday 
in  Todi,  the  inn-keeper  probably  let  them  lie  bound  until 
he  had  more  leisure  on  his  hands,  which  were  in  truth  full 
enough,  as  the  albergo  hummed  with  custom.  I  never 
heard  or  saw  anything  more  of  either  of  the  villains  again. 
We  had  time  yet  at  our  disposal ;  but  after  an  early  supper, 
the  horses  being  rested,  we  started,  and  going  slowly,  with 
a  halt  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Paglia,  we  crossed  the  Tiber 
near  San  Fortunato,  and  Perugia  lay  before  us,  bright  in 
the  sunshine.  In  order  to  throw  any  pursuit  off  the  scent, 
for  if  by  chance  inquiries  were  made  about  us,  they  would 
be  at  the  southern  gates,  we  made  a  turn  east,  then  struck 
north,  and  getting  over  the  numberless  trenches  lying  be- 
tween us  and  our  point,  eventually  entered  the  city  by  the 
Porta  del  Carmine.  Here  Jacopo,  under  my  secret  instruc- 
tions, let  the  guard  handle  his  wine-skin,  buzzing  out  as  if 
in  the  confidence  of  the  cup,  that  we  had  come  from  Fa- 
briano  in  the  Marches  and  then  gave  them  the  day.  We 
rode  on,  leaving  the  ward  at  the  gate  to  finish  the  skin,  and 
found  very  comfortable  house-room  in  the  Rubicon,  an  hotel 

237 


238  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

kept  by  Messer  Passaro,  which  lay  behind  the  house  of  the 
Piccinino  family,  "  close  to  the  Duomo,  the  citadel,  and  the 
gallows,"  as  the  landlord,  who  thought  himself  a  merry  wag, 
informed  me  whilst  he  received  us  at  his  door.  I  took  the 
best  room  available  for  myself,  and  saw  to  the  wants  of  my 
followers  and  the  horses,  who  were  as  well  as  when  they 
started.  I  left  them  in  comfort,  bidding  Bande  Nere  make 
ready  to  accompany  me  out  at  noontide.  Dinner  I  ordered 
at  twelve,  inviting  the  landlord  to  crack  a  flask  of  his  best 
thereafter  with  me.  He  accepted  with  effusion ;  my  object 
in  doing  this  being  to  try  and  get  as  much  information  out 
of  him  as  possible,  as  I  saw  he  had  a  loose  tongue  and  a 
gossiping  heart,  and  I  was  resolved  to  leave  no  stone  un- 
turned in  my  search  for  Angiola.  It  wanted  two  hours  or 
more  for  dinner,  and  having  bathed  and  changed  my  attire, 
I  sank  me  down  in  an  arm-chair  to  enjoy  an  hour  or  so  of 
repose. 

After  dinner  mine  host  appeared,  bearing  with  him  a 
cob-webbed  flask. 

"  It  is  a  wine  of  France,  excellency — Burgundy — and  all 
my  customers  do  not  taste  this,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  I  am  favoured,  indeed,  Messer  Passaro ;  take  a  seat, 
and  help  yourself." 

"  The  condescension  of  your  excellency ! "  and  with  a 
bow  he  settled  himself  on  the  extreme  edge  of  a  chair. 

We  poured  out  our  measures,  and  on  testing  the  wine  I 
found  it  most  excellent ;  as  for  Passaro,  he  pushed  himself 
back  into  his  seat  and  let  the  liquid  down  his  throat  in 
drops,  his  eyes  closed  in  an  ecstacy.  When  he  opened  them, 
which  he  did  after  a  time,  he  gasped  out : 

"  Is  not  that  glorious,  signore  ?  Have  you  ever  lipped 
the  brand  ?  " 

"  I  confess  it  is  wine  for  the  gods,"  I  said.  "  Is  there 
much  in  your  cellar." 


"A  BROWN  PAUL— A  LITTLE  COPPER."  239 

"  Store  of  it,  excellency ;  I  was  not  butler  to  His  Emi- 
nence of  Strigonia  for  ten  years  for  nothing." 

"  His  eminence  is  a  fine  judge  of  wines." 

"  Cospitto  !  And  your  excellency's  forgiveness  for  swear- 
ing. He  is  the  finest  judge  in  the  world.  There  is  no  brand 
he  could  not  name,  nay,  tell  you  the  year  of  vintage,  were 
he  blindfold  and  a  drop  but  touched  his  palate.  Corpo  di 
Bacco  !    But  he  is  a  true  prince  of  the  Church." 

"  Ah !  you  are  a  sly  dog,  Messer  Passaro,"  and  I  filled 
him  his  glass ;  "  I  warrant  me  you  could  tell  many  a  tale  of 
the  cardinal.  But  come  now,  has  not  the  Baglioni  as  fine  a 
taste  in  wines,  and  a  better  one  for  a  neat  ankle  ?  " 

"  Hush  ! "  he  said,  looking  around  him  as  he  put  down 
his  empty  glass,  "  in  your  ear,  excellency — the  Count  Carlo 
has  oig  teeth  and  bites  hard.  Let  your  tongue  be  still  when 
his  name  comes  up  in  Perugia." 

"  Thanks,  friend,  but  Count  Carlo  owes  me  no  grudge, 
or  else  I  should  not  be  here." 

"  Your  worship  has  come  to  join  him  then?  " 

"As  you  see,  Messer  Passaro,"  and  I  filled  his  glass  again, 
"  I  am  a  soldier  and  love  to  serve  a  soldier.  Besides  things 
will  be  on  foot  soon,  for  what  with  the  French  at  Passignano, 
war  cannot  be  delayed  long." 

"  True,  and  a  light  has  been  put  to  the  torch  too." 

"  Hurrah  !  Another  glass,  man ;  we  soldiers  are  sick  of 
ihis  truce.     Our  purses  run  dry  in  peace.     But  tell  me." 

"  You  must  know,  signore,  that  all  the  country  east  of 
Oastiglione  to  the  Tiber,  and  lying  between  the  Nestore  and 
Casale,  is  a  fief  of  the  Castellani,  and  the  Count — ha !  ha ! 
It  was  glorious ! "  and  he  slapped  his  thigh — "  ha  !  ha !  " 

Nothing  irritates  me  so  much  as  to  hear  a  man  laughing 
aimlessly,  and  it  was  in  a  sharp  tone  that  I  said,  "go  on." 

"A  moment,  excellency,"  and  he  held  up  a  fat  hand, 
"ha!  ha!    I  had  it  all  from  Messer  Lambro,  my  cousin, 


240         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  groom  of  the  chambers  to  Count  Carlo.  Well,  all  the 
fief  I  spoke  of  is  inherited  by  the  Lady  Angiola,  the  daugh- 
ter of  old  Count  Adriano.  The  family  is  Ghibelline,  and 
have  taken  the  French  side,  and  seeing  that  Tremouille  was 
between  us  and  Casale,  my  lady  must  needs  go  down  to  visit 
her  estates.  The  Count,  who  is  looking  for  a  wife,  buckles 
on  his  armour,  mounts  his  mare,  and  with  two  hundred 
lances  at  his  back,  gallops  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Tiber, 
fords  the  stream,  swoops  down  on  the  dovecote  at  Eossino, 
and  brings  back  a  bride  to  Perugia ;  ha !  ha !  It  is  superb." 
"  Ha !  ha !  Messer  Passaro — diavolo  !    Are  they  married 

yet?" 

"  Not  yet — ah !  The  wine  is  wine  for  the  gods  as  your 
worship  says — not  married  yet,  for  my  lady  is  half  beside 
herself  they  say,  and  the  Count,  receiving  a  sudden  message 
from  Cesare,  has  had  to  leave  Perugia  for  a  few  days." 

"  Cospitto  !  How  he  must  curse  the  Borgia  for  putting 
off  his  happiness !    And  she  is  handsome,  eh  ?  " 

"  For  the  matter  of  that,  excellency,  one  does  not  squint 
at  a  sour  face  set  in  a  golden  coif.  But  they  do  say  the  lady 
is  very  beautiful." 

"  You  have  not  seen  her  then  ?  " 

"  Corpo  cli  Bacco  !  She  is  under  lock  and  key,  and  not 
for  the  likes  of  me  to  look  upon." 

"  In  the  citadel  I  suppose — a  gloomy  cage  for  a  fair 
bird." 

"  Maybe,  but  I  have  let  my  tongue  wag  too  freely,  signore, 
and  must  be  going." 

"  Safe  enough  with  me,  Messer  Passaro,  for  I  am  on  the 
right  side — adieu  !  " 

I  made  no  further  attempt  to  detain  him,  and  he  waddled 
off  with  the  best  part  of  the  now  empty  flask  under  his  belt. 
I  was  sure  he  knew  but  little  more,  and  what  I  had  got  out 
of  him  did  not  amount  to  much.    At  any  rate  I  had  discov- 


"A  BROWN  PAUL— A  LITTLE  COPPER."  241 

ered  that  Baglioni  was  out  of  Perugia,  and  that  she  was  still 
here.  This  was  better  than  nothing ;  but  worse  than  noth- 
ing if  I  could  not  discover  the  place  of  her  imprisonment. 
I  threw  myself  back  in  my  chair,  and  racked  my  brains  to 
no  purpose.  There  was  nothing  definite  for  me  to  get  hold 
of,  no  clue  of  any  kind.  I  thought  of  getting  the  landlord 
to  invite  the  Count's  valet  to  drink  a  bottle  or  so  of  his  Bur- 
gundy with  me,  but  the  mere  whisper  of  such  a  thing  would 
excite  suspicion  of  a  further  object,  and  the  slightest  sus- 
picion would  ruin  the  business.  Bande  Nere  appearing  at 
this  time,  in  accordance  with  my  orders,  I  resolved  to  hang 
about  the  Palazzo  Publico,  and  see  if  I  could  pick  up  any 
information  there.  On  second  thoughts  I  resolved  to  go 
alone,  and  dismissing  Bande  Nere,  sallied  forth  by  myself. 
I  went  by  way  of  the  Piazza  del  Duomo,  and  here  I  stopped 
in  an  idle  manner,  and  was  for  a  moment  struck  by  the 
entrance  to  the  palace,  which  lies  here.  Over  the  gate  was 
a  splendid  bronze  of  a  lion  and  a  griffin,  set  above  a  scries 
of  chains  and  bars  of  gates,  trophies  of  an  old  victory  gained 
over  the  Sienese.  A  crowd  of  beggars  surrounded  me,  but 
I  was  in  no  mood  for  charity,  and  drove  them  off  with  a 
rough  oath.  One  of  the  number,  however,  remained.  He 
was  lame  in  both  feet,  supported  himself  on  crutches,  and 
wore  a  huge  patch  over  one  of  his  eyes. 

"  That  is  right,  excellency — drive  them  off — the  scum, 
the  goats — pestering  every  noble  gentleman.  It  is  only  to 
the  deserving  your  excellency  will  give — a  paul,  excellency 
— a  brown  copper  for  the  poor  cripple — a  million  thanks, 
excellency — may  this  copper  be  increased  to  you  a  thousand- 
fold in  gold." 

"  Begone,  fool ! "  I  said,  and  walked  on ;  but  he  hobbled 
along  at  a  great  rate  beside  me. 

"  But  a  favour,  excellency.  If  your  worship  would  but 
come  with  me,  I  would  show  you  a  wonderful  sight.    A 


242         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

bird-cage,  excellency;  would  your  lordship  be  pleased  to 
buy  a  bird — " 

I  turned  round  in  my  anger,  and  raised  my  hand  to  cuff 
the  rascal's  ears,  cripple  though  he  was,  when  he  suddenly 
added  :  "  Or  free  a  bird,  excellency — there  is  someone  com- 
ing— a  paul,  quick — thanks,  excellency — may  your  lordship 
die  a  prince." 

As  he  spoke  a  couple  of  gentlemen  and  their  servants 
pushed  by  us,  and  I  gave  them  the  road,  the  beggar  hopping 
nimbly  to  my  side.  My  heart  was  beating  rapidly,  and  all 
my  blood  tingling.     Was  I  on  the  edge  of  a  discovery  ? 

"  No  more  riddles,"  I  said,  "  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  safe  to  talk  here,  signore,"  he  answered. 
"  Follow  me."  He  started  off  across  the  square,  hobbling 
along  on  his  crutches  and  wailing  out,  "  A  copper  for  the 
poor  cripple — a  brown  paul — a  little  copper  ?  " 

"  By  God  ! "  I  exclaimed  to  myself  as  I  followed  behind, 
"  what  does  this  mean  ? "  I  had  to  find  out  for  myself, 
however,  and  followed  the  man,  who  stumped  along  at  a 
rare  pace,  notwithstanding  the  ups  and  downs  of  the  side- 
streets  by  which  Ave  went.  He  never  once  looked  behind 
him,  but  kept  up  his  cry  of  "  a  copper  for  the  poor  cripple 
— a  brown  paul — a  little  copper,"  and  once  or  twice,  when 
I  lost  him  in  the  crowd,  the  cry  served  as  a  signal  to  me 
telling  me  where  he  went.  Finally  he  turned  to  the  left, 
and  on  reaching  the  Via  della  Conca,  made  straight  for  the 
gate.  Here  a  toll  was  collected,  and  paying  his  paul  he 
went  straight  out  of  the  town.  I  kept  him  in  view  now 
easily,  and  could  have  caught  him  up  as  I  liked,  for  the 
speed  at  which  he  had  hobbled  along  had  no  doubt  breathed 
him.  At  last  he  left  the  road,  and  toiling  somewhat  pain- 
fully over  the  very  uneven  ground,  vanished  behind  a  spur 
of  the  hills  on  which  Perugia  is  situated.  I  now  put  on 
my  best  walking  pace,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  turned  the 


"A  BROWN  PAUL— A  LITTLE  COPPER."  243 

elbow  of  the  spur  myself,  and  found  the  mendicant  seated 
on  a  stone  mopping  his  brow,  his  crutches  lying  beside 
him.     He  stood  up  with  the  greatest  ease  as  I  approached. 

"  Well,  fellow,"  I  said,  "  what  does  all  this  mean  ?  Be- 
ware, if  you  have  attempted  to  trick  me." 

"  Does  not  your  excellency  know  me  ?  " 

"  Never  saw  you  before." 

"  I  am  Gian,  excellency." 

"  Gian  !  Gian  !     That  throws  no  light  on  the  subject." 

"  The  cavaliere  remembers  the  garden  of  St.  Michael  in 
Florence  ?  " 

I  was  not  likely  to  forget  the  place  where  I  had  received 
Angiola  from  Luigi,  but  I  could  not  connect  the  man  be- 
fore me  with  the  circumstance.  "I  remember  perfectly, 
but  I  do  not  know  you.  Drop  this  foolery  and  speak 
plainly." 

"  I  am  speaking  plainly,  signore.  I  was  not  sure  if  it 
was  you  myself  until  now.  I  am  Gian,  the  Lady  Angiola's 
servant,  and  his  excellency  the  secretary  has  sent  me  to 
you." 

"  But  how  did  you  hear  I  was  in  Perugia :  his  excellency 
did  not  himself  know  I  was  coming  here  until  a  half-hour 
before  I  started,  and  I  have  ridden  hard  ?  " 

"  The  pigeon,  your  worship  :  it  flew  to  Florence  with  a 
letter  to  the  Lady  Marietta.  She  sent  another  one  on  to 
the  convent  of  St.  Jerome,  and  the  result  is  I  am  here.  I 
was  to  seek  out  your  worship,  and  inform  you  where  my 
lady  is  confined." 

"  Basta  !  It  was  well  conceived  by  his  excellency.  But 
where  is  she — in  the  citadel  ?  " 

"  No,  excellency ;  but  in  the  Casino  Baglioni,  behind 
fcanta  Agnese." 

"  How  did  you  find  out  ?  " 

"  I  was  brought  here  prisoner,  excellency,  and  was  al- 


244  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

lowed  to  be  in  attendance  on  her  ladyship,  together  with 
Madonna  Laura,  her  maid.  I  escaped  back  to  Florence 
with  a  letter  from  the  Lady  Angiola  a  day  or  so  after.  It 
was  by  her  orders  I  went." 

"  Then  she  may  not  be  there  now." 

"  I  have  made  sure  of  that,  excellency — but  Madonna 
Laura "  he  stopped. 

"  The  maid — what  of  her — no  doubt  Avith  her  mis- 
tress?" 

"  Alas,  no,  excellency  !     She  was  killed  by  Pluto." 

"  Pluto !  " 

"  Yes,  your  worship.  A  black  bear  that  the  cavaliere 
Paolo,  who  holds  the  house,  has  as  a  pet,"  and  he  com- 
menced to  weep. 

I  felt  for  the  faithful  fellow's  grief,  but  said  nothing, 
and  after  a  little  he  composed  himself. 

"  Come,  Gian,"  I  said,  laying  my  hand  on  his  shoulder, 
"  be  a  man,  and  we  will  have  an  eye  for  an  eye." 

He  ground  his  teeth  but  made  no  reply,  I  and  went  on — 

"  How  far  is  the  house  from  here  ?  " 

"  Close,"  he  said.  "  We  can  reach  it  by  the  Porto  San 
Angelo." 

"  Come,  then." 

"  There  is  no  need  for  the  crutches  now,"  he  remarked, 
as  he  tucked  them  under  his  arm.  "  I  will  use  them 
when  we  come  to  the  gate.  Will  your  excellency  fol- 
low?" 

As  we  walked  northward  over  the  hills,  I  continued  my 
questions : 

"  Who  is  the  Cavaliere  Paolo  ?  " 

"  A  cousin  of  Count  Carlo  Baglioni,  your  worship.  A 
man  in  middle  life — my  age — and  a  perfect  devil." 

"  I  doubt  not,  the  breed  is  a  bad  one.  Has  he  many 
men  with  him  ?  " 


"A  BROWN  PAUL— A  LITTLE  COPPER."  245 

"  About  six,  excellency,  and  then,  of  course,  there  is  the 
guard  at  the  Porta  San  Angelo  always  at  hand." 

"  Now  listen  to  me,  for  we  may  not  have  time  to  talk 
further  of  this.  When  you  have  shown  me  the  house  we 
must  separate.  Go  to  the  Albergo  of  the  Kubicon — you 
know  it?" 

"  Alas  !  no,  excellency." 

"  It  is  behind  the  Palazzo  Piccinino ;  you  cannot  miss 
it.  Go  there,  and  await  me  a  few  steps  from  the  doors — 
you  follow  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  worship." 

We  had  now  crossed  the  Vici  dell'  Elce,  but  passing  the 
gate  of  that  name,  went  onwards,  and  after  a  stiff  climb 
reached  the  Porta  San  Angelo.  Here  my  companion,  be- 
taking himself  once  more  to  his  crutches  and  keeping 
ahead  of  me,  turned  southwards  along  the  road  which 
lined  the  walls  towards  Santa  Agnese.  Shortly  before 
reaching  the  church,  we  came  to  a  small  but  solid-looking 
building,  half  fortress,  half  dwelling-house,  and  Gian,  stop- 
ping dead  in  front  of  it,  turned  round  and  began  his  whine : 

"  A  copper  for  the  poor  cripple— a  brown  copper.  The 
house,  signore,"  speaking  the  last  words  under  his  breath 
as  I  came  up. 

"  Do  you  know  the  room?"  I  asked  pretending  to  fum- 
ble for  a  coin. 

"  In  the  tower  behind,"  he  answered  rapidly,  "  may  the 
saints  bless  your  lordship,"  and  he  limped  away. 

In  order  to  gain  time  to  look  about,  I  put  back  my 
purse  leisurely,  and  then,  with  the  same  object,  proceeded 
to  rearrange  and  retie  the  bows  on  my  doublet.  The  face 
of  the  house  was  a  little  way  back  from  the  wall  which  it 
overlooked.  The  massive  doorway  was  shut,  and  the  win- 
dows on  each  side  of  it,  as  well  as  those  set  above,  heavily 
grated.     I  was  too  near  the  house  to  see  the  tower  behind. 


246         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  it  looked  so  deserted  that  it  was  hardly  possible  for  six 
men  to  be  on  guard  there. 

"  An  odd  sort  of  bower  to  place  one's  lady-love  in,"  I 
said,  half  aloud,  to  myself ;  but  then  Baglioni's  wooing  was 
a  rough  one.  There  was  obviously  nothing  to  be  got  by 
staring  at  the  front  of  the  house,  and  I  turned  to  my  left, 
pausing  between  two  dead  walls,  until  I  obtained  a  view  of 
the  tower  behind.  The  windows  of  the  topmost  room  were 
all  closed  and  strongly  barred,  and  it  seemed  deserted.  I 
glanced  lower  down,  and  to  my  joy  saw  that  the  room  be- 
low was  evidently  occupied,  and  once  I  caught  a  glimpse  of 
a  figure  moving  within.  It  was  a  brief  glimpse ;  but  the 
eyes  of  love  are  sharp,  and  I  knew  it  was  Angiola.  I  made 
up  my  mind  at  once,  and  stepping  back  quickly  to  the 
front  of  the  house,  hammered  loudly  at  the  door  with  the 
knocker.  After  a  moment's  silence,  I  heard  the  firm  tread 
of  a  soldier.  A  small  barrier  was  let  down,  a  bearded  face 
looked  up,  and  a  rough  voice  asked — 

"Who  knocks?" 

"  Diavolo ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  You  are  polite.  Is  the 
Cavaliere  Paolo  within  ?  " 

"  He  is  not,"  replied  the  man  shortly. 

"  Expected  soon  ?  " 

"  Cannot  say." 

"  If  you  do  not  answer  more  civilly  it  will  be  bad  for  you. 
Tell  him  when  he  comes  that  the  Cavaliere  di  Savelli  "—I 
gave  my  proper  name—"  has  arrived  from  Rome  on  an 
urgent  affair,  and  will  call  on  him  to-morrow ;  forget,  and 
it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

The  man  seemed  a.  little  surprised,  and  altered  his  tone 
at  once. 

"  I  will  give  your  message,  signore." 

"  Beware  how  you  fail — harkee — is  there  a  road  to  the 
Via  Appia  behind  this  house?" 


"A  BROWN  PAUL— A  LITTLE  COPPER."  247 

"  Yes,  signore,  straight  on,  after  taking  the  passage." 

I  did  not  even  thank  him,  but  turned  on  my  heel,  and 
walked  off  whistling  a  catch.  I  went  down  the  passage  be- 
tween the  two  walls,  and  after  some  considerable  stum- 
blings up  and  down  the  vile  roads,  reached  the  Via  Appia 
and  turned  southwards  to  my  hostel.  I  had  formed  the 
somewhat  daring  plan  of  trying  to  force  the  house  in  broad 
daylight,  choosing  my  time  an  hour  or  so  after  dinner,  and 
if  done  boldly  this  would  probably  be  successful,  as  my 
own  force  was  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  garrison  includ- 
ing Pluto. 

As  I  was  approaching  the  Rubicon,  I  heard  a  voice  at 
my  side. 

"  A  copper,  signore — a  brown  paul." 

"  Gian." 

"  Excellency." 

"  Drop  the  beggar,  and  attend — can  you  ride  ?  " 

"  Yes,  excellency." 

"  Very  well ! " 

I  said  no  more  and  went  on  in  silence,  but  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  hostel  I  bade  Gian  stoj),  and  entering  the 
yard,  sought  out  Jacopo. 

"  Has  the  landlord  any  horses  for  sale  ?  " 

"  Two,  your  excellency." 

"Good  ones?" 

"Fairly  so,  excellency — about  twenty  crowns  a  piece 
with  saddle  included." 

"  Then  buy  one — and  here — a  few  steps  to  the  right  of 
the  entrance  you  will  find  a  cripple,  he  is  one  of  my  men, 
do  not  speak,  but  attend — go  out  quietly — get  him  decently 
clothed,  and  bring  him  back  here,  the  horse  will  be  for  him. 
You  can  get  clothes  to  fit  him  anywhere,  for  the  shops  do 
not  shut  until  late ;  get  him  a  sword  too,  there  are  some 
good  and  cheap  weapons  in  Perugia." 


248         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  It  shall  be  done,  excellency." 

"  Then  be  off  at  once." 

I  went  on,  and  had  a  look  at  the  horses.  Bande  Nere 
was  with  them,  seated  on  a  rough  wooden  bench  cleaning 
his  corselet,  which  already  shone  like  silver.  He  rose  to 
the  salute  as  I  came  up. 

"  How  are  the  horses,  Bande  Nere  ?  " 

"As  well  as  possible,  signore,  they  are  all  in  high 
mettle." 

With  a  parting  pat  to  Castor,  I  sought  my  chamber, 
reaching  it  a  little  after  the  supper  hour.  I  kept  up  an 
outward  composure,  but  my  mind  within  me  was  aflame 
with  excitement.  I  ordered  another  flask  of  the  Burgundy 
and  forced  myself  to  eat  and  drink  a  little.  Then  I  betook 
myself  to  the  arm-chair,  and  my  thoughts.  So  impatient 
was  I,  that  the  idea  came  on  me  to  make  the  attempt  there 
and  then,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  I  persuaded  myself  to 
abandon  such  a  plan,  which  could  have  only  ended  in  dis- 
aster. Finally,  I  was  about  to  retire  for  want  of  something 
better  to  do,  when  Jacopo  came  in,  followed  by  Gian. 

The  latter  was  entirely  transformed,  except  for  the 
patch  which  he  still  wore  over  his  eye,  and  I  was  able  to 
recall  him  now  as  the  old  servant  who  had  come  somewhat 
fiercely  up  to  me  in  the  garden  of  St.  Michael.  He  had 
the  art  which  I  found  so  difficult,  of  completely  disguising 
himself  when  he  chose.  Jacopo  had  performed  his  task 
well,  and  bidding  them  keep  their  tongues  closed,  I  dis- 
missed them  with  a  good  night. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

THE   EESCUE   OF   ANGIOLA. 

The  next  day  as  the  big  gun  from  the  citadel  boomed 
out  the  twelfth  hour,  and  all  the  bells  of  the  town  clanged 
forth  the  time,  five  horsemen  rode  through  the  gate  of  St. 
Angelo,  whose  doors  were  spread  wide  open.  The  single 
sentry  on  duty  paced  sleepily  up  and  down,  he  was  longing 
for  his  noontide  siesta,  and  the  guard  of  a  half-score  of 
Baglioni's  lances,  lay  with  their  armour  off,  basking  in  the 
mellow  sun.  A  subaltern  officer,  who  had  evidently  dined 
to  some  purpose,  reclined  on  his  back,  half  in  half  out  of 
the  shade  of  a  few  olive  trees  that  grew  to  the  left  of  the 
gate,  and  the  ruby  on  his  cheeks  showed  up  all  the  brighter 
against  the  green  of  the  grass  on  which  he  was  stretched. 
The  horsemen  were  myself  and  my  four  followers.  We  had 
taken  the  route  I  went  the  day  before  with  Gian,  and  the 
plan  I  had  formed  was  this.  On  my  gaining  admittance  to 
the  house,  Jacopo  and  Bande  Nere  were  to  put  themselves 
at  the  door,  and  engage  the  guard  there  in  conversation. 
Gian  and  the  lackey  were  to  hold  the  horses.  As  soon  as  I 
ascertained  the  position  of  Angiola's  room,  I  would  blow 
shrilly  on  a  whistle  I  had  purchased  for  the  purpose.  My 
men  at  the  door,  who  were  armed  with  arquebuses  as  well 
as  their  swords,  would  hold  the  passage,  and  I  should  try 
and  account  for  the  Cavaliere  Paolo  and  bear  off  the  prize. 
If  we  succeeded,  we  could  easily  make  the  gate,  and  then, 
the  road  to  St.  Jerome  lay  open  before  us.  The  fact  that 
17  -   _£w 


250  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

the  attempt  was  to  be  made  in  broad  daylight  too  would  be 
a  safeguard,  as  no  one  would  deem  that  such  a  deed,  usually 
done  under  cover  of  night,  was  to  be  adventured  at  this 
hour.  I  had  partly  paved  the  way  for  my  entrance  by  my 
call  of  yesterday,  and  was  provided  with  a  sufficiently  plau- 
sible story  to  keep  the  cavaliere  engaged,  whilst  I  took  stock 
of  his  surroundings.  Jacopo  too  had  been  carefully  drilled 
as  to  how  he  was  to  announce  me,  and  the  question  resolved 
itself  into  hard  hitting,  and  a  little  luck.  I  had  dressed 
myself  with  particular  care,  wearing  my  buff-coat  under  a 
gay  jerkin,  and  a  short  velvet  cloak  hung  from  my  shoul- 
ders. This  almost  gala  attire  was  to  act  as  a  further  blind, 
and  give  all  the  appearance  of  a  mere  visit  of  ceremony. 
There  was  of  course  the  possibility  of  my  being  refused  ad- 
mittance, and  of  the  Cavaliere  Paolo  declining  to  see  me ; 
but  this  was  not  probable,  and  if  it  did  happen,  I  was  ready 
for  a  bold  stroke,  and  for  this  Bande  Nere  carried  with  him 
a  grenade  with  which  to  blow  open  the  door.  As  it  turned 
out,  however,  we  had  no  difficulty  on  this  score.  On  reach- 
ing the  house  I  glanced  up,  and  saw  a  face  peering  at  us 
through  the  caging  of  one  of  the  windows  above ;  but  it 
was  almost  immediately  withdrawn.  Jacopo  dismounted 
and  knocked  firmly.  The  same  performance,  I  have  de- 
scribed, of  opening  a  grating  was  gone  through,  but  on  my 
name  being  mentioned  the  porter  shut  his  peep-hole,  there 
was  the  sound  of  the  removal  of  a  bar,  the  clank  of  chains, 
and  the  door  swung  open  with  a  sullen  groan,  disclosing 
a  hall,  in  which  stood  two  men,  completely  armed,  their 
arquebuses  at  the  ready  in  their  hands,  whilst  the  door- 
keeper himself,  a  sturdy  knave,  stood  full  in  the  entrance, 
swinging  a  bunch  of  keys. 

"Is  the  Cavaliere  Paolo  Baglioni  within?"  I  asked  as  I 
dismounted,  taking  it  for  granted  I  was  to  be  received,  from 
the  preparation  I  saw  was  made. 


THE  RESCUE  OP  ANGIOLA.  251 

"  He  is,  signore — be  pleased  to  follow." 

With  a  warning  glance  to  Jacopo  I  stepped  in,  finding 
myself  in  a  hall  of  middle  size,  the  walls  discoloured  with 
age,  and  chipped  and  cracked  in  many  places— clearly  the 
Casino  Baglioni  needed  repairs.  At  the  end  of  the  hall  was 
a  spiral  staircase,  whose  stone  steps,  worn  to  a  hollow  in  the 
middle,  by  the  passing  and  repassing  of  feet,  marked  its 
great  age.  Up  this  narrow  stairway  I  followed  the  man, 
until  we  reached  a  corridor,  hung  on  each  side  with  rusty 
suits  of  armour,  and  old  and  tattered  banners.  The  place 
was  very  damp,  and  there  was  a  musty  smell  about  it,  as  if 
no  pure  air  ever  came  that  way.  It  was  evident  that  the 
cavaliere  was  on  the  alert,  for  a  man  was  on  guard  here, 
armed  like  those  below,  with  sword  and  arquebus.  To  him 
my  guide  addressed  himself. 

"  He  has  come,"  he  said,  jerking  his  thumb  backwards 
at  me. 

"  Well,  announce  him,"  said  the  sentinel. 

"  That  is  for  you,"  answered  the  janitor,  "  I  had  enough 
of  Pluto  this  morning."  With  this  he  turned  on  his  heel 
and  ran  back  downstairs,  jingling  his  keys. 

The  sentry  stood  still,  however,  and  after  waiting  for 
half  a  minute,  I  spoke,  my  blood  rising  a  little  with- 
in me. 

"  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  announce  the  Cavaliere  di 
Savelli — on  an  urgent  affair  ?  " 

The  man  turned  round  to  a  closed  door  behind  him, 
rapping  at  it  with  his  mailed  hand.  From  inside  I  heard 
a  shuffling  noise,  a  heavy  body  lurched  against  the  door, 
and  there  was  a  scratching  at  the  wood.  No  answer,  how- 
ever, came  to  the  knock. 

"  Knock  again,"  I  said,  a  little  impatiently,  and  this 
time  a  deep  voice  called  out — 

"  Enter." 


252  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

I  placed  my  hand  on  the  door  to  open  it  when  the  sentry 
spoke  with  unexpected  civility. 

"  Take  care  of  the  beast,  signore  !  " 

"  The  beast — what  beast  ?  "  I  asked,  pretending  not  to 
know  anything  of  Pluto's  existence. 

"  His  excellency's  bear — do  not  fear  it — else  it  might 
injure  you — cospetto  !  But  it  is  a  perfect  fiend  if  you  run 
from  it.     It  killed  a  poor  woman  the  other  day." 

"  Thanks,  friend,  I  will  beware,"  I  answered,  and  pushed 
open  the  door,  springing  back  a  yard  as  I  did  so,  for  with  a 
short  roar  that  echoed  through  the  house,  a  huge  bear  rose 
on  his  hind  legs,  and  struck  out  at  my  face  with  his  claws. 

"  Diavolo !  go  back,"  shouted  the  sentry  to  the  brute, 
and  I  whipped  out  my  sword ;  but  the  animal  merely  stood 
in  the  open  doorway,  making  no  further  advance,  his  great 
jaws  open,  and  puffing  like  a  blacksmith's  bellows. 

"  Cospetto !  excellency,  call  off  the  bear,"  shouted  the 
sentry  again,  indeed  he  seemed  positively  to  hate  the  ani- 
mal, and  from  inside  came  a  low  deep-toned  but  mocking 
laugh.  "  Come  back,  Pluto — down,  you  brute — down  !  " 
then  there  was  a  heavy  "  thud,"  the  tinkling  of  shivered 
glass,  and  the  bear  dropping  on  its  fore  feet,  shambled  back 
into  the  room.  I  was  considerably  startled,  and  not  a  little 
angry ;  but  concealing  these  feelings,  stepped  boldly  into 
the  room,  keeping  my  drawn  sword  still  in  my  hand. 

"  The  Cavaliere  di  Baglioni  ?  "  I  enquired. 

"  At  the  Cavaliere  di  Savelli's  service,"  and  a  tall  figure 
rose  from  a  lounge  chair  and  surveyed  me.  I  confess  that 
my  heart  began  to  beat  a  little  fast  when  I  saw  the  man 
against  whom  I  was  to  pit  myself.  He  was  far  above  the 
middle  height,  and  proportionately  broad.  His  grizzled 
hair,  parted  in  the  middle,  hung  down  straightly  to  his 
neck,  and  a  thick  grey  beard  and  moustache  hid  his  mouth 
and  chin.     A  cruel  hooked  nose,  almost  Hebraic  in  shape, 


THE  RESCUE  OP  ANGIOLA.  253 

was  set  between  a  pair  of  small  and  piercing  eyes.  His 
complexion  was  deathly  pale,  and  by  the  light  which  fell 
from  the  barred  window,  I  saw  beneath  the  skin  the  little 
red  lines  of  swollen  veins  which  marked  an  intemperate 
life.  At  a  small  table  beside  the  chair  was  a  pack  of  cards, 
and  a  glass  half  filled  with  red  wine,  the  bottle  from  which 
the  wine  was  taken  was  lying  in  fragments  at  the  door, 
where  it  had  fallen  and  broken  to  bits,  after  being  flung  at 
Pluto.  The  bear  was  now  beside  his  master,  facing  me,  his 
huge  head  held  down  and  swaying  from  side  to  side.  We 
remained  for  a  half  minute  staring  at  each  other,  and  then 
Baglioni  spoke  again,  with  his  deep  sneering  accent,  "  Is  it 
usual  for  the  Cavaliere  di  Savelli  to  pay  visits  with  a  drawn 
sword  in  his  hand  V  " 

"  Is  it  usual,"  I  replied,  "  for  gentlemen  to  be  received 
by  having  a  savage  beast  set  at  them  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Pluto  !  "  and  he  touched  the  bear,  "  Pluto  was  not 
set  at  you,  man — you  would  not  be  here  if  he  was." 

"  Probably — if  however  you  will  call  the  beast  to  one 
side,  I  would  like  to  discuss  my  business  with  you,  cava- 
liere." 

"  Shut  the  door,  and  sit  down  there,"  he  replied,  "  Pluto 
will  not  disturb  us — you  can  put  back  your  sword.  It  would 
avail  you  little,"  he  grinned. 

It  cost  me  an  effort,  but  I  did  as  I  was  bidden,  and  Ba- 
glioni sank  back  into  his  lounge,  the  bear  still  standing,  and 
keeping  its  fierce  eyes  on  me.  Its  master  however  kept 
running  his  hand  up  and  down  its  shaggy  coat,  whilst  he 
asked  in  his  measured  voice — 

"  Well,  and  to  what  do  I  owe  the  honour  of  this  visit?  " 

"  You  would  prefer  no  beating  about  the  bush  ?  " 

"  It  is  my  way." 

"  Well,  then,  cavaliere,  I  have  come  from  Rome  with  a 
special  object,  and  that  is  to  ask  you  to  change  sides,  and 


254  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

to  use  your  influence  with  your  cousin,  Count  Carlo,  to  do 
likewise." 

"  I  follow  the  head  of  my  house." 

"  Exactly.  You  are  aware  that  His  Holiness  is  now  over 
seventy  years  of  age." 

"  The  lambkin  of  God,  Alexander — yes." 

"  Well,  he  cannot  go  on  for  ever,  and  if  he  were  to  die, 
it  is  an  end  to  the  Borgia." 

"  Ho  !  ho  ! "  he  laughed,  "  it  is  an  end  to  the  Borgia — 
Cavaliere,  your  employers  are  mad.  It  will  take  not  a  little 
to  break  Cesare — Cesare  Borgia,  Duke  of  Romagna,  Imola 
and  Faenza,  Marquis  of  Rimini,  Count  of  Forli,  Lord  of 
Pesaro  and  Fano,  Gonfaloniere  of  the  Church — good  for  a 
low-born  bastard — eh  ?    Ho  !  ho  !  break  Cesare !    Not  you." 

"  Stronger  trees  have  fallen,  signore — remember  we  have 
France,  and  the  Florentines  on  our  side,  and  twenty  thou- 
sand men,  under  Tremouille  and  Trevulzio,  are  not  twenty 
miles  from  you." 

I  was  playing  a  risky  game.  If  I  did  succeed  in  induc- 
ing this  man  to  listen  to  my  proposals,  and  he  actually  per- 
suaded his  cousin  to  do  likewise,  it  would  be  a  terrible  blow 
to  the  Borgia.  On  the  other  hand  I  ran  the  immediate 
risk  of  being  arrested,  and  kept  a  prisoner,  or  killed  out- 
right. But  it  was  the  only  way  to  gain  time,  and  look 
about  me  ;  and  whilst  Baglioni  reflectively  stroked  his  strange 
pet,  making  no  reply  to  my  last  speech,  I  glanced  cautiously 
but  carefully  around  the  room.  Like  the  passage  outside, 
the  walls  were  hung  with  old  armour  and  old  flags.  Time 
had  defaced  the  pictures  on  the  ceiling,  and  such  furniture 
as  there  was,  was  old,  and  the  coverings  of  the  chairs  and 
tables  moth-eaten  and  wine  stained.  The  stale  odour  of 
wine  mingled  with  the  must  of  a  long  untouched  room,  and 
everywhere,  on  the  tables,  on  the  chairs,  and  strewn  here 
and  there  on  the  floor,  were  cards.     Evidently  the  cavaliere 


THE  RESCUE  OP  ANGIOLA.  255 

had  a  weakness  in  this  direction,  and  like  lightning  it 
flashed  upon  me,  that  if  he  were  a  gambler  the  game  was 
probably  in  my  hands,  and  I  would  drop  policy  and  turn  to 
the  cards.  My  thoughts  were  interrupted  by  Baglioni,  who 
broke  the  silence.  "  What  evidence  have  you,  to  show  you 
are  the  person  you  represent  yourself  to  be '?  " 

"  I  can  offer  you  none.  In  matters  like  this  one  does 
not  carry  evidence  about — but  if  you  like  to  send  a  trusted 
messenger  to  Eome,  to  the  Cardinal  d'Amboise — see  the 
reception  he  will  get — or  nearer  still  to  Tremouille V" 

"  And  why  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  Because  of  your  influence  with  your  cousin,  and  be- 
cause you  are  a  man  who  will  play  for  a  big  stake,"  and  I 
risked  the  shot.  His  eyes  flashed,  and  his  hand  stopped  in 
its  movement  through  the  fur  of  the  bear. 

"  My  influence  with  my  cousin  is — that,"  he  snapped 
his  fingers,  "  but  a  big  stake — yes — I  like  playing  for  big 
stakes." 

I  stooped  and  picked  up  a  card,  holding  it  idly  up  be- 
tween my  finger  and  thumb. 

"  This,  what  I  propose,  is  a  bigger  stake  than  you  could 
ever  get  on  the  king,  cavaliere,"  and  with  a  twist  of  my 
wrist  I  sent  the  card  from  me,  it  hit  the  wall  opposite  with 
a  smart  tap,  and  then  floated  slowly  and  noiselessly  down 
to  the  floor  of  the  room. 

The  man's  eyes  followed  the  card,  and  he  muttered  as  if 
to  himself — 

"  A  big  stake — yes — Carlo  gives  me  nothing — I  am  his 
jailor — I,  who  in  a  single  night  have  lost  two  lordships  to 
Riario,  have  now  not  a  ducat  to  fling  in  the  air,  except  what 
the  niggard  allows  me." 

I  did  not  like  the  part  I  was  playing ;  but  I  knew 
enough  of  the  state  of  affairs  to  be  certain  that  D'Amboise 
would  richly  reward  the  person  who  could  detach  Baglioni 


256  THE  HONOUR  OF   SAVELLI. 

from  the  Borgia.     I  said  no  more  than  the  truth  therefore 
when  I  added  quietly — 

"You  would  have  another  lordship,  or  two  maybe,  to 
stake,  if  my  proposal  were  carried  out." 

"  Cospetto  !  "  he  said,  "  it  is  useless." 

"Then  I  am  sorry,"  I  replied,  rising  as  if  to  depart, 
"  but  must  wish  you  good  day." 

"Diavolo  !  Cavaliere,  you  are  not  going  without  some 
refreshment.  Ho!  without  there,"  and  his  deep  voice 
pealed  out  like  a  great  bell. 

The  bear,  which  had  stretched  itself  on  the  floor,  rose 
with  a  grunt,  but  Baglioni  pressed  its  head  down,  and  it 
sank  back,  and  began  to  hum  to  itself  between  its  paws, 
like  an  enormous  bee,  or  rather  with  the  sound  a  thousand 
bees  might  make. 

After  a  little  delay  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  but 
apparently,  as  usual,  the  person  outside,  whoever  he  was, 
did  not  feel  disposed  to  come  in.  My  host  rose  in  anger, 
and  stepped  across  the  room,  followed  by  his  beast,  the 
latter  passing  unpleasantly  close  to  me. 

There  was  an  altercation  at  the  door,  my  host  went  out 
with  his  pet,  and  for  a  minute  or  two  I  was  left  alone.  I 
moved  my  seat  nearer  to  the  small  table  beside  Baglioni's 
lounge,  and  taking  up  the  pack  of  cards  began  to  shuffle 
and  cut  them. 

The  cavaliere  came  back  very  soon,  a  flask  in  one  hand 
and  a  glass  in  the  other. 

"  Blood  of  St.  John ! "  he  exclaimed  as  he  set  them 
down  with  a  clink  on  the  table,  "  those  rascals — I  will  have 
their  ears  cut  off — they  fear  this  poor  lamb,"  and  he  fondled 
the  great  bear,  which  rose  on  its  hind  feet  and  began  muz- 
zling its  master. 

"I  am  not  surprised.  Corpo  di  Bacco !  The  king 
again ! "  and  I  flung  down  the  pack  in  apparent  disgust. 


THE  RESCUE  OP  ANGIOLA.  257 

"  Down,  Pluto  ! "  and  Baglioni  turned  to  me,  "  The 
king  again.     What  was  that  you  said  ?  " 

"  Cutting  left  hand  against  the  right.  I  lost  three 
times." 

"  I  lost  ten  thousand  one  night  over  cutting — but  help 
yourself,"  and  he  pushed  the  flask  towards  me,  and  then 
filled  his  own,  which  he  drained  at  a  gulp. 

"  Come,  cavaliere — you  are  in  no  hurry — cut  me  through 
the  pack." 

"  With  pleasure ;  but  my  purse-bearer  is  downstairs — 
will  you  permit  me  to  see  him  V  " 

"  By  all  means — the  heavier  the  purse  the  better  for  me." 

"  A  favour — I  cannot  play  with  that  beast  near  me — 
could  you  not  send  him  away  ?  " 

"Send  him  away — my  familiar,"  he  said  with  an  awful 
smile,  "  No,  no,  Di  Savelli — he  is  my  luck ;  but  I  shall  keep 
him  at  a  distance  if  you  like." 

I  rose  and  went  down  to  Jacopo,  and  found  him  and 
Bande  Nere  already  on  friendly  terms  with  the  guard.  I 
took  my  purse  from  him,  and  found  time  to  whisper  a 
warning  to  strike  the  moment  he  heard  my  whistle.  When 
I  came  back,  I  was  relieved  to  find  the  bear  fastened  by  a 
chain  to  a  ring  in  the  wall.  The  chain  itself  was  weak,  and 
could  have  been  snapped  with  ease,  but  the  animal  made  no 
effort  to  strain  at  it,  and  lay  down  as  contentedly  as  a  dog. 
Baglioni  had  pulled  a  table  into  the  centre  of  the  room,  and 
was  seated  at  it,  impatiently  ruffling  the  cards. 

"  Back  at  last,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  had  lost  its  meas- 
ured cadence,  "  heavens,  I  have  not  spread  the  cards  for  a 
whole  year — what  stakes  ?  " 

"Simply  cutting  the  cards?" 

"  Yes.     It  is  the  quickest  game  I  know." 

"  Say  a  crown  each  turn  to  begin  with." 

We  cut  through  four  times,  and  I  paid  over  two  crowns. 


258         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

Baglioni  laughed  as  he  put  them  on  one  side,  "  peddling 
stakes  these,  cavaliere — make  them  ten  crowns  a  cut." 

"  Agreed — three  cuts  and  a  shuffle. " 

lie  nodded,  and  I  paid  ten  crowns,  feeling  at  this  rate 
that  my  purse  would  soon  be  empty ;  but  I  saw  that  the 
fever  was  taking  hold  of  him,  and  offered  to  double  the 
stakes  and  won.  From  that  moment  luck  favoured  me,  and 
at  the  end  of  half  an  hour's  play  the  cavaliere  had  lost  all 
his  ready  money,  about  sixty  crowns,  and  owed  me  five  hun- 
dred besides.  He  did  not  take  his  losses  well,  all  the  re- 
strained self-command  which  he  first  exhibited,  gave  place 
to  a  wild  excitement,  and  his  hands  shook  as  he  shuffled  the 
cards,  his  white  face  paling  whiter  than  ever. 

"  Curse  the  cards  ! "  he  said,  "  I  have  no  luck." 

The  moment  had  come  for  which  I  had  been  watching. 
Time  after  time  I  felt  inclined  to  strike  a  sudden  blow ;  but 
held  myself  in. 

"  No  more  to-day,  cavaliere,"  I  said,  filling  my  glass,  "  I 
have  business  and  must  away." 

A  red  flush  came  to  his  forehead,  "  I  cannot  pay  you  at 
once,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Tush ! "  I  replied, "  the  word  of  Baglioni  is  enough — but 
if  you  want  a  last  try  for  your  revenge,  I  will  cut  you " 

"  Double  or  quits?"  he  burst  in. 

"  No,  cavaliere,"  and  I  dropped  the  words  out  slowly, 
"  the  five  hundred  against  a  five  minutes'  interview  with  the 
Lady  Angiola." 

He  leaned  back  in  his  chair  in  amaze,  and  I  went  on, 
"  Listen  to  me,  I  only  want  five  minutes'  speech  with  her 
— in  your  presence  if  you  will — come,  shall  I  cut  or  will 
you?" 

"Diavolo  !  "  he  muttered,  "  if  Carlo  hears  of  this — well, 
yes — I  will  cut  first — the  ten — a  bad  card  to  beat." 

I  cut  carelessly,  and  faced  my  card.     It  was  a  king. 


THE  RESCUE  OF  ANGIOLA.  259 

"  Hell  and  Furies  ! "  he  burst  out.  "  You  have  won. 
Come,  sir,"  and  rising  he  advanced  towards  the  bear. 

"  A  moment,  cavaliere.  I  said  in  your  presence.  I  did 
not  include  Messer  Pluto  there  in  the  interview." 

He  gave  me  an  unpleasant  look ;  but  stopped  short. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  and  taking  a  large  key  from  his 
girdle,  went  on  before  me. 

It  cost  me  a  great  effort  to  keep  cool,  up  to  now  my  luck 
had  been  so  great  that  every  moment  there  was  a  temptation 
to  put  all  to  the  hazard  of  one  stroke.  I  smiled,  under  my 
beard,  as  I  thought  of  the  imposing  fool  Count  Carlo  had 
placed  in  charge  of  his  prize,  and  when  I  saw  the  huge  shak- 
ing hand  clutching  the  key,  I  could  not  help  thinking  that 
nerves  like  that  would  never  hold  a  sword  straight,  and  that 
for  all  his  size  and  courage,  the  cavaliere  was  not  a  very  for- 
midable foe. 

In  a  few  steps  we  reached  the  door  he  wanted,  and  Bagli- 
oni,  after  knocking  once,  simply  turned  the  key  and  pushed 
open  the  door. 

Looking  over  his  shoulder  I  saw  a  small  but  well-fur- 
nished room,  and  standing  in  the  middle  of  it,  in  startled 
surprise  at  this  sudden  intrusion,  the  figure  of  Angiola. 
Quick  as  thought  I  made  a  warning  gesture,  and  almost  at 
the  moment  Baglioni  turned  round  with — 

"  A  visitor  for  you,  madam." 

She  did  not  seem  to  recognise  me,  but  at  the  warning 
gesture  I  made,  a  faint  flush  came  into  her  cheek.  She 
stood  looking  at  us  half  frightened,  half  indignant,  and  at 
last  spoke. 

"  I  do  not  recognise " 

"  TJgo  di  Savelli,  madam,"  and  I  bowed. 

Her  lips  curled  a  little  as  she  answered — 

"  Well,  Messer  Ugo  di  Savelli — Cavaliere  Ugo  di  Savelli 
I  should  say — is  it  not  so  ?   May  I  ask  your  business?    If  it  is 


260         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

any  message  from  your  master,  I  decline  to  hear  it,"  and  she 
turned  away  with  a  motion  of  supreme  disdain,  thinking  no 
doubt  that  I  was  a  follower  of  Count  Carlo. 

"  Ho  !  ho  ! "  laughed  Baglioni,  at  my  look  of  discom- 
fiture, "  the  future  countess  can  speak  her  mind.  I  pity 
Carlo.  You  had  best  cut  short  your  five  minutes,  cavaliere, 
and  come  back  to  the  cards." 

At  this  moment  I  heard  the  bear  whining  below,  impa- 
tient for  his  master,  and  I  knew  his  bonds  were  all  too  slen- 
der to  hold  him.  There  was  nothing  for  it,  but  to  save 
Angiola  in  spite  of  herself.  All  this  happened  in  a  flash, 
and  with  my  full  strength  I  hit  Baglioni  below  the  left  ear, 
just  where  the  neck  and  head  united.  So  sudden,  so  unex- 
pected was  the  blow,  that  the  huge  man  rolled  over  like  an 
ox,  and  a  short  shrill  scream  broke  from  Angiola.  My 
sword  was  out  in  a  moment,  and  I  stood  over  Baglioni. 

"  A  cry,  a  movement,  and  I  kill  you  like  a  dog,"  I  gasped 
out,  my  breath  coming  thick  and  fast ;  "  throw  the  key  to 
the  lady — pick  it  up,  girl — quick — now  run  to  the  door  and 
stand  there — I  am  here  to  save  you."  It  was  done  at  once, 
for  Baglioni  saw  he  must  obey  or  die,  and  springing  back,  I 
closed  the  door  quickly  and  turned  the  key.  Almost  as  I 
did  so,  I  heard  footsteps  hurrying  below,  and  blew  loudly 
on  my  whistle.  The  sound  of  the  whistle  was  followed  by 
an  angry  shouting  that  Avas  drowned  by  a  terrible  roar,  and 
I  saw  Pluto  before  me,  rushing  up  the  stair,  with  the  end 
of  his  broken  chain  still  hanging  to  him.  Baglioni  was  bat- 
tering at  the  door  behind  me.  He  was  safe  enough,  but  my 
companion  had  dropped  in  a  faint,  and  I  wanted  all  my 
hands  and  all  my  nerve  to  meet  the  beast,  who  was  now  on 
the  stairway,  not  ten  feet  away  from  me.  Close  to  me  was 
a  heavy  stool,  I  seized  this,  and  flung  it  at  the  animal  with 
all  my  strength,  and  getting  between  his  forefeet,  it  caused 
him  to  stumble  and  slip  back  a  half-dozen  steps ;  but  with 


THE  RESCUE  OF  ANGIOLA.  261 

another  roar  Pluto  gathered  himself  together,  and  rushed 
up  again,  his  jaws  agape,  and  white  with  foam.  I  gave  him 
the  point  deep  into  his  neck.  It  might  have  been  a  pin- 
prick, and  he  dented  the  steel  with  his  teeth.  Eising  to  his 
feet,  he  struck  at  me,  teariug  my  short  cloak  clean  off  my 
shoulders,  and  then,  my  sword  was  up  to  the  hilt  in  his  side, 
and  we  grappled.  My  left  cheek  was  once  touched  by  his 
claws,  and  seemed  to  be  hanging  in  ribbons  ;  but  although 
almost  blinded  with  blood,  and  choked  by  his  foetid  breath, 
I  held  my  head  well  down,  and  drove  my  dagger  again  and 
again  into  the  beast.  Angiola  had  recovered  from  her  faint, 
and  above  the  grunting  of  the  bear,  the  battering  at  the 
door,  and  the  clash  of  steel  below,  I  heard  her  laughing  in 
shrill  hysterics.  My  strength  was  failing.  I  was  about  to 
give  up  all  for  lost,  when  there  was  a  loud  report,  and  with 
a  howl  the  bear  fell  backwards.  My  hand  somehow  fastened 
itself  to  the  hilt  of  my  sword,  sticking  in  the  animal's  side, 
and  the  weight  of  him,  as  he  fell  back,  and  as  I  shook  my- 
self clear,  freed  the  blade.  I  stood  half  dazed,  watching  the 
huge  black  body  sliding  limply  down  the  stairs,  until  it  lay 
in  a  shapeless  heap  on  the  landing.  Jacopo's  voice  brought 
me  to  myself. 

"  For  the  love  of  God — quick,  excellency — quick  !  " 
God,  I  suppose,  gives  men  strength  sometimes,  for  his 
own  purposes.  And  so  it  must  have  been  with  me,  for  I 
picked  my  dear  up  in  my  arms,  and  half  giddy,  and  stag- 
gering, made  my  way  to  the  entrance  door.  I  need  not  say 
I  had  no  time  to  look  about  me ;  but  Jacopo  helped  me 
with  my  burden.  Lifting  her  to  the  pommel  of  the  saddle, 
I  sprang  up  behind,  and  drawing  my  darling  close  to  me, 
with  a  shout  of  triumph,  I  set  free  my  plunging  horse  and 
let  him  go  with  a  loose  rein. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

THE    RIDE   TO    ST.   JEROME. 

We  galloped  at  a  break-neck  pace  to  the  gate,  but  the 
guard  was  already  alarmed,  and  half-a-dozen  men  came 
hastening  towards  us.  They  were  on  foot,  however,  and 
had  no  mind  to  stand  the  shock  of  meeting  horses  coming 
at  full  speed  down  an  incline,  so  skipped  nimbly  aside.  The 
officer  alone  held  his  ground,  paying  for  his  courage  with 
his  life,  for  Baude  Nere  sliced  his  head  in  two  like  a  ripe 
water-melon — poor  wretch.  Had  they  only  closed  the  gates 
we  were  lost,  but  we  reached  them  just  in  time,  and  passing 
through  like  a  flash  were  free  of  the  town.  A  bullet  or  two 
whizzed  past  us,  but  did  no  damage.  It  was  done,  and  an- 
other half  hour  of  the  pace  we  were  going  would  place  us 
beyond  pursuit.  It  was  no  easy  matter,  however,  to  sit  the 
horse  and  hold  Angiola  as  I  was  doing,  and  I  very  soon  be- 
gan to  feel  that  the  strain  on  my  arm  was  getting  beyond 
me,  and  that  she  was  slipping  from  my  grasp.  She  lay  still 
and  passive,  her  eyes  closed,  her  head  resting  on  my  shoul- 
der, and  seemed  in  a  faint.  Perhaps  I  spoke  roughly,  but 
it  was  no  time  to  mince  words. 

"  Come,  madam,"  I  said,  "  you  must  rouse  yourself — 
take  another  day  to  swoon — hold  me  as  closely  as  you  can — 
quick." 

My  words — and  the  tone  they  were  spoken  in — had  the 
effect  I  wanted.     She  looked  a  little  indignant,  but  held  on, 

262 


THE  RIDE  TO  ST.  JEROME.  263 

leaving  my  left  arm,  which  was  getting  numbed,  more  free 
to  guide  the  horse,  and  my  sword  arm  greater  liberty  should 
occasion  arise. 

The  country,  rugged  although  it  was,  descended  in  a  slope 
towards  the  basin  of  Trasimene,  but  I  turned  sharp  aside 
from  the  road,  fearing  there  might  be  a  picquet  thereon, 
and  galloped  across  the  open,  far  out-pacing  my  followers, 
who  I  saw  were  coming  after  me  in  a  bunch,  and  at  their 
utmost  speed — the  honest  knaves.  The  glance  over  my 
shoulder  that  I  took  to  observe  this  also  showed  me  a  strong 
body  of  horse  spurring  from  the  gate,  and  I  chuckled  to 
myself  as  I  thought  we  had  gained  a  mile's  start  and  that 
they  had  to  deal  with  Castor.  Five  leagues  to  go — it  was 
nothing  to  the  brave  horse ;  and  in  answer  to  my  call  he 
stretched  himself  out  as  he  had  never  done  before.  As  for 
me,  such  thoughts  as  I  had  when  I  felt  the  arms  of  the 
woman  I  loved  clasped  about  me  are  to  be  recalled  for  one's 
self  alone,  and  concern  none  else  beside.  Once  or  twice  I 
glanced  down,  meeting  her  eyes,  and  as  she  dropped  her 
lids  over  them  they  seemed  to  me  to  be  alive  with  a  soft 
light.     After  a  little  I  felt  her  arms  beginning  to  relax. 

"  Hold  tight,"  I  said. 

"  I  cannot ;  my  strength  is  going." 

"  Courage,  take  heart ;  see,  to  our  left  is  the  Tower  of 
Magione — a  few  minutes  and  we  are  safe." 

I  drew  her  closer  towards  me.  With  an  effort  she  rallied, 
her  arms  again  tightened  in  their  clasp,  and  we  sped  down 
the  long  slope  which  led  to  Trasimene,  Castor  stretching 
himself  like  a  greyhound.  I  looked  again  over  my  shoul- 
der. Far  behind  my  men  were  riding  for  their  lives,  and 
farther  still  was  the  dark  line  of  our  pursuers,  coming  on 
with  dogged  persistence,  the  sun  lighting  up  their  armour 
and  flashing  from  their  spears.  Once  beyond  Magione  we 
were  comparatively  safe,  but  a  false  step,  a  stumble,  and  all 


2G4         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

was  lost.  Magione  itself  was  held  by  the  Baglioni,  and 
from  the  old  watch-tower,  built  by  the  Sforza,  which  stood 
high  above  the  country,  we  might  have  already  been  spied, 
and  a  party  sent  out  to  intercept  us.  The  thought  seemed 
to  grow  into  a  reality,  and  a  despair  began  to  come  over 
me.  "  On,  on,  Castor ! "  I  spoke  to  the  good  horse,  and 
he  laid  his  ears  back  at  the  sound  of  my  voice,  and  even  as 
he  did  so  I  saw  a  cloud  of  dust  coming  towards  our  left,  and 
knew  that  the  clanger  I  feared  was  at  hand.  Going  as  we 
were  I  was  riding  right  into  the  party  from  Magione,  and 
therefore  with  a  touch  on  the  rein,  I  swung  Castor  round  to 
the  north,  and  we  raced  on,  leaving  the  tower  over  my  shoul- 
der. The  double  burden  and  the  tremendous  pace,  however, 
began  to  tell  on  the  horse,  and  within  the  next  five  minutes 
he  slackened  perceptibly  in  his  stride.  To  my  horror  I  saw 
that  the  ground  began  to  be  furrowed  and  cut  up  by  ravines 
and  that  we  were  approaching  the  bed  of  a  river.  I  had 
therefore  to  slacken  the  pace,  and  at  the  same  time  our  new 
pursuers  sighting  us,  came  on  with  all  the  speed  of  their 
fresh  horses.  Castor  scrambled  in  and  out  of  the  ravines 
like  a  cat,  but  we  were  going  slowly  now,  and  the  enemy 
had  all  the  advantage  of  the  level  ground  to  come  up,  which 
they  did  at  a  dreadful  rate.  With  the  failing  strength  of 
my  companion  I  dared  not  risk  jumps,  weighted  as  I  was, 
but  the  brave  horse  did  his  utmost,  as  if  knowing  our 
danger. 

"  For  God's  sake  hold  on  !  "  I  cried  out  as  we  topped  a 
deep  ravine  with  a  plunge  that  almost  caused  Angiola  to 
slip  from  my  g"asp,  and  as  I  said  this  I  heard  a  shot  and  a 
ball  from  an  arquebus  whistled  over  my  head.  The  enemy 
were  in  the  rough  ground  now  themselves,  but  they  were 
within  gun-range,  and  I  dreaded  that  some  of  them  might 
dismount  and  pick  me  off.  This  however  did  not  occur  to 
them,  and  on  we  went,  with  every  now  and  again  a  bullet, 


THE  RIDE  TO  ST.  JEROME.  2G5 

fired  from  horseback  with  an  unsteady  aim  singing  past  us. 
My  charge  had  twisted  her  arms  into  my  shoulder  belt  and 
held  on  bravely,  but  I  saw  by  her  white  face  and  the  blue 
coming  into  her  lips  that  this  could  not  last,  and  if  she 
fainted  there  was  an  end  of  all. 

At  the  outside  it  was  a  matter  of  a  few  minutes  now, 
one  way  or  the  other ;  but  as  I  came  to  the  crest  of  another 
ravine  I  saw  before  me  a  steep  bank  leading  down  to  a  small 
stream  that  was  swishing  along  in  a  white  flood,  and  on  the 
opposite  shore  a  sight  that  made  my  heart  leap,  for  drawn 
up  in  array,  evidently  roused  by  the  sound  of  the  shots,  was 
a  strong  body  of  men-at-arms,  and  over  them  fluttered  the 
pennon  of  Hawkwood,  a  red  hand  on  a  white  field.  I  knew 
in  a  moment  we  were  within  the  king's  outposts. 

"  Saved  !  "  I  shouted  in  my  joy.  "  Saved  ! " — and  risk- 
ing all  I  made  the  horse  fly  the  last  ravine,  and  the  next 
instant  we  had  slid  down  the  bank,  and  the  white  water 
was  churning  round  Castor  as  he  dashed  into  the  stream. 

A  puff  of  smoke  above  us,  a  flash  as  of  lightning,  a  deafen- 
ing roar,  and  one  of  Novarro's  nine  pounders  belched  out  a 
storm  of  grape,  that  hissed  over  our  heads  in  the  direction 
of  our  pursuers,  and  stopped  them,  beaten  and  baffled.  One 
effort  more,  we  were  out  of  the  stream,  up  the  bank,  and 
panting,  breathless  and  still  bleeding,  with  my  companion 
in  a  dead  faint  in  my  arms,  I  reined  in  Castor.  In  a  mo- 
ment we  were  surrounded,  but  the  faces  were  kindly,  and 
dismounting  slowly,  I  placed  my  lifeless  burden  on  a  heap 
of  cloaks  that  were  flung  to  the  earth  for  her,  and  then 
turning  round,  saw  Hawkwood  before  me.  It  was  the  first 
time  we  had  met  since  the  affair  at  Arezzo,  when  I  was  cast 
forth  a  dishonoured  man.  I  did  not  know  how  to  greet 
him,  and  there  was  a  constraint  in  his  face,  for  I  saw  lie 
knew  me,  and  was  like  myself  at  a  loss  for  speech.  I  had, 
however,  to  take  the  matter  in  my  hand. 
18 


266  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

"  Signore,"  I  said,  "  accept  my  thanks.  This  lady  is  the 
Countess  Angiola  Castellani,  a  ward  of  the  Florentine  sec- 
retary, whom  I  have  brought  off  from  Perugia,  and  have  to 
take  to  the  convent  of  St.  Jerome." 

He  tugged  at  his  tawny  moustache. 

"  I  have  merely  carried  out  orders — you  have  nothing  to 
thank  me  for,  signore.  My  instructions  were  to  prevent  any 
of  Baglioni's  men  crossing  the  Sanguinetta,  and  to  protect 
all  fugitives  from  the  territories  of  the  Borgia." 

I  bowed  and  added,  with  a  pain  in  my  tone  I  could  not 
conceal,  for  this  man  was  once  my  friend — 

"  All  the  same  I  thank  you,  signore ;  I  have,  however, 
four  followers." 

"  I  can  do  nothing  for  them  if  they  are  on  the  other 
bank,"  he  interrupted,  and  went  on,  "  St.  Jerome  is  not  a 
half-league  from  here.  My  men  will  make  up  a  litter,  and 
help  to  bear  the  lady  there.  It  will  be  easier  for  her.  I  wish 
you  a  good  day."  He  turned  on  his  heel  and  gave  some  orders 
to  his  men  in  English,  a  language  I  do  not  know,  leaving 
me  standing  by  the  body  of  Angiola.  All  the  misery  of  the 
past  came  back  to  me  in  a  flash.  Would  the  stain  never  be 
wiped  out  ?  All  the  kindness  I  had  received  from  Bayard 
and  the  cardinal,  all  the  efforts  made  by  those  who  believed 
in  me,  seemed  to  be  swept  away  as  dust  in  the  wind.  Almost 
did  I  feel  that  I  would  accept  the  ban  cast  on  me,  and  turn 
wolf  in  earnest.  It  cost  me  much  to  restrain  myself  from 
drawing  on  Hawkwood,  but  a  glance  at  the  still  pale  face 
before  me  recalled  me  to  my  duty.  A  man  very  kindly 
brought  me  a  little  wine,  I  knelt  down  and  forced  some  of 
it  between  her  blue  lips.  In  a  short  time  she  revived,  some 
colour  came  into  her  cheeks,  and  she  attempted  to  rise,  with 
a  look  of  fear  on  her  face  at  the  number  of  armed  men  she 
saw  around  her. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  fear,  madam,"  I  said  to  reassure 


THE  RIDE  TO  ST.  JEROME.  267 

her,  "  you  are  safe,  and  in  an  hour  will  be  at  St.  Jerome — a 
litter  is  being  made  ready  for  you." 

Without  a  word  she  held  out  her  hand,  and  thanked  me 
with  this  and  the  look  in  her  eyes. 

The  litter  was  now  ready,  half-a-dozen  men  volunteered 
their  services,  and  placing  her  therein,  we  started  for  the 
convent.  Ere  we  had  gone  half  a  mile  we  heard  shouts  be- 
hind us,  and  I  was  more  than  glad  to  see  Jacopo  and  my 
men  riding  up. 

"  How  did  you  get  off  ?  "  I  asked  as  they  came  up. 

"  In  the  rear  of  the  troop  from  Magione,  excellency," 
was  Jacopo's  reply,  "  they  did  not  observe  us,  having  eyes 
only  for  you  ;  and  seeing  you  were  safe,  we  forded  the  stream 
lower  down  and  crossed — but,  excellency,  your  face — are 
you  hurt  ?  " 

"  Somewhat,  but  at  St.  Jerome  I  will  have  it  attended 
to." 

In  truth  the  left  side  of  my  face  appeared  to  be  laid  open, 
and  although  I  felt  that  the  wound  was  not  so  dangerous  as 
it  seemed,  yet  I  had  bled  freely,  and  now  that  the  excite- 
ment was  over,  began  to  suffer  much  pain.  Indeed  at  times 
I  felt  as  if  I  could  hardly  hold  myself  straight  in  the  sad- 
dle, succeeding  in  doing  so  only  by  an  effort  of  will.  I  did 
not  approach  the  litter.  I  was  afraid  that  the  sight  of  my 
face  would  alarm  Angiola,  for  now  she  was  probably  able  to 
look  about  her,  and  see  that  which  she  had  not  been  able  to 
observe  before.  Once,  however,  in  a  bend  of  the  road, 
that  fortunately  went  to  the  left  and  hid  my  wounded  side, 
our  eyes  met,  and  I  caught  so  bright  a  smile  of  thanks,  that 
it  paid  me  for  my  hurt.  I  reined  in,  for  I  knew  my  face 
showed  too  much,  and  henceforth  kept  well  behind.  I  sent 
Gian  on  to  the  convent  with  the  good  news  of  Angiola's 
rescue,  and  on  nearing  the  gates  was  met  by  St.  Armande 
and  the  rest  of  my  followers,  whom  I  was  glad  indeed  to  see. 


268  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

He  came  up  with  a  merry  greeting.  "  Welcome,"  he 
cried,  "  so,  gallant  knight,  you  have  saved  the  damsel  in  dis- 
tress ; "  then  catching  sight  of  my  wounded  face  his  tone 
changed.     "  Good  God  !  you  are  hurt." 

"  A  little." 

"You  should  have  it  seen  to  at  once — come — we  are 
not  allowed  to  enter  the  convent ;  but  the  abbess  has  done 
all  she  can  for  us,  and  we  camp  or  lodge,  whichever  way 
you  put  it,  in  that  house  there,"  he  pointed  to  a  small  villa, 
set  in  what  seemed  a  wilderness  of  holm-oak  that  hid  all 
but  its  roof  from  view. 

"  Not  so  fast,  chevalier.  I  must  leave  my  charge  at  the 
convent  first." 

He  had  to  rest  satisfied  with  this,  but  I  was  surprised 
that  he  made  no  inquiry  as  to  the  condition  of  Angiola,  an 
ordinary  civility  that  might  have  been  expected. 

At  the  gates  of  the  convent,  within  which  we  were  not 
allowed  to  enter,  we  were  met  by  the  lady  abbess  and  her 
train.  I  dismounted,  intending  to  assist  Angiola  out  of  the 
litter,  but  as  it  was  set  down,  she  sprang  out  of  it  of  her  own 
accord,  and  the  next  minute  she  was  in  the  arms  of  the 
abbess,  and  there  was  much  kissing  and  many  congratula- 
tions, mingled  with  tears  of  joy. 

I  did  not  stay  to  receive  the  thanks  I  saw  would  shortly 
be  showered  on  me,  and  thrusting  a  handful  of  crowns  into 
the  hands  of  the  leader  of  the  good  fellows  who  bore  the 
litter,  as  some  reward  for  himself  and  his  men,  I  looped 
Castor's  reins  into  my  arm,  and  set  forward  to  walk  to  the 
villa.  The  chevalier  came  with  me,  and  by  the  time  I  reached 
it  I  was  quite  giddy,  being  weak  with  the  pain  and  the  loss 
of  blood.  The  saturnine  old  abbe  was  there,  with  more 
concern  in  his  face  than  I  had  seen  for  a  long  time,  and  see- 
ing me  stagger,  he  put  an  arm  round  me  and,  aided  by  St. 
Armande,  assisted  me  to  a  couch.     The  chevalier  himself 


THE  RIDE  TO  ST.  JEROME.  269 

dressed  my  wound,  with  a  gentle  and  skilful  hand,  making 
as  much  of  me  as  if  I  had  been  run  through  the  vitals.  As  he 
finished  dressing  the  wound,  the  abbe  remarked  that  I 
would  have  to  rest  for  a  few  days  to  enable  it  to  heal,  and  I 
had  replied  with  some  difficulty,  my  jaw  being  bandaged  up, 
that  this  was  impossible,  when  Gian  came  in  with  a  note. 
It  was  from  Angiola,  chiding  me  gently  for  not  waiting  to 
receive  her  thanks  and  those  of  the  abbess,  and  begging  me 
to  come  the  following  day,  with  a  postscript  to  the  effect 
that  the  lady  abbess  would  so  far  relax  the  rules  of  the 
order,  as  to  admit  me  within  the  courtyard.  I  dismissed 
Gian  with  thanks,  and  a  message  that  I  would  be  at  the 
convent,  charging  him  to  say  nothing  of  my  wound,  and 
then  my  thoughts  went  a  wool-gathering,  and  I  lay  back 
with  the  missive  in  my  hands.  St.  Armande  was  leaning 
against  the  window,  his  back  to  the  light.  He  had  taken 
up  this  position  after  whispering  a  word  or  two  to  the  abbe, 
who  left  the  room.  I  did  not,  however,  observe  him  or  any- 
thing else,  my  mind  was  full  of  mad  thoughts,  and  for  the 
moment  I  let  them  have  full  play,  making  no  effort  to  re- 
sist. Folding  the  letter  up  carefully,  I  placed  it  under  my 
pillow,  and  was  about  to  close  my  eyes,  when  the  abbe  re- 
turned, bearing  a  bowl  in  his  hands.  This  St.  Armande  took 
from  him,  and  approaching  me  said — 

"  Come,  cavaliere — you  must  drink  this  at  once." 
His  tone  was  sharp  and  incisive,  and  looking  up  in  some 
surprise,  I  saw  he  was  pale  to  the  lips,  and  wondered  what 
bee  had  stung  him.  I  rose  to  a  sitting  posture  to  take  the 
cup ;  but  he  would  not  have  it  so,  and  passing  his  arm 
round  my  neck,  made  me  drink  like  a  child.  The  draught 
was  cool  and  refreshing,  and  as  I  sank  back  on  my  pillows, 
my  heart  for  a  moment  being  gay  at  the  thought  of  the  letter, 
I  said  jestingly — 

"  Chevalier,  you  would  make  a  most  excellent  nurse. 


270         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

Shave  off  that  little  moustache  of  yours,  put  on  a  black  hood 
and  gown,  and  diavolo  !  But  you  would  break  as  many  hearts 
as  you  cured  wounds."  The  words  were  barely  out  of  my 
mouth,  when  he  brought  his  foot  down  with  an  angry  stamp 
on  the  carpet,  and  with  a  face  as  scarlet  now  as  it  had  been 
pale  before,  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  out  of  the  room. 

I  looked  to  the  abbe,  who  was  sitting  watching  me, 
stroking  his  chin  with  his  hand. 

"  St.  John  !     But  is  he  often  taken  this  way  ?  " 

The  cleric  rose,  and  not  answering  my  question,  spoke. 

"  You  had  better  try  and  sleep  now,  cavaliere,  or  else  the 
potion  may  lose  its  effect."     He  then  followed  St.  Armande. 

I  would  have  risen  to  apologise,  but  I  felt  a  pleasant 
numbness  stealing  over  me,  and  in  a  minute  or  so  my 
thoughts  began  to  grow  confused,  and  I  seemed  to  sink  into 
a  sleep.  Not  so  profound  a  slumber,  however,  as  to  be  un- 
conscious of  what  was  going  on  around  me.  I  was  sure  I 
once  heard  Bande  Nere  and  Jacopo  in  my  room,  and  that  I 
was  being  carried  apparently  to  a  more  comfortable  bed. 
Then  I  felt  soft  hands  bathing  my  wound,  and  heard  a  gentle 
voice  whispering  words  of  deep  love  in  my  ear.  It  was  a 
dream,  of  course,  but  all  through  the  night  that  soon  came, 
Doris  d'Entrangues  hung  over  me,  and  tended  me  with 
words  I  cannot  repeat. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE   PAVILION    OF   TREMOUILLE. 

When  I  awoke  the  next  morning,  my  head  was  still 
dazed,  but  I  was  otherwise  strong.  At  least,  I  felt  so,  as  I 
lay  still  in  my  bed,  all  sense  of  fatigue  gone,  and  trying  to 
collect  my  thoughts.  After  a  little,  I  glanced  round  the 
chamber,  which  was  not  the  room  where  I  had  taken  the 
potion,  but  another  and  a  larger  apartment.  It  was  no 
fancy  then,  the  voices  of  Jacopo  and  Bande  Nere  I  heard 
and  the  sensation  of  being  lifted  and  moved,  which  I  ex- 
perienced in  the  night.  My  removal  was  doubtless  effected 
whilst  I  was  under  the  influence  of  the  drug ;  but  the  voice 
of  madame  ?  The  almost  certainty  that  she  was  by  me 
through  the  hours  of  the  night?  I  could  not  account  for 
this,  and  seeing  any  such  effort  was  useless,  ceased  to  rack 
my  brain  on  the  subject,  putting  it  down  to  a  mad  dream. 
For  some  while  I  lay  mustering  up  courage  to  rise,  fanned 
by  the  mild  breeze,  which  played  in  from  the  open  window 
on  my  right.  Outside  I  could  see  the  branches  of  the  trees, 
as  they  swayed  to  and  fro  in  the  wind,  and  the  joyous  song 
of  a  mavis  trilled  out  sweetly  through  the  morning,  from 
the  thorn  bushes  whence  he  piped.  In  about  a  half  hour 
my  head  began  to  grow  clearer,  I  remembered  Angiola's 
letter,  and  thrust  my  hand  under  the  pillow  to  find  it.  Of 
course  it  was  not  there,  as  I  had  been  moved,  and  a  short 
exclamation  of  annoyance  broke  from  me. 

271 


272  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI, 

"  Excellency ! " 

It  was  Jacopo's  voice,  and  the  good  fellow,  who  had  evi- 
dently been  watching  me,  came  forward  from  behind  the  head 
of  the  bed. 

"  Ah,  Jacopo !     Is  it  you  ?    Here,  help  me  to  rise." 

"  S ignore — but  is  your  worship  able — the  chevalier " 

"  Never  mind  the  chevalier.  I  am  as  well  as  ever,  and 
there  was  no  need  of  that  to-do  yesterday — diavolo  !  "  and 
a  twinge  in  my  face  brought  me  up  sharply,  and  recalled 
Pluto's  claws.  I  put  my  hand  up  to  my  face,  and  found  I 
was  still  bandaged. 

"It  was  lucky  he  only  touched  your  worship." 

"  Luckier  still  your  being  there  with  your  arquebus,  else 
St.  Peter  and  I  had  surely  shaken  hands — there — thanks — 
I  will  sit  here  for  a  few  minutes,"  and  I  sank  into  an  easy 
chair,  being  really  weaker  than  I  thought  I  was,  the  effects 
more  of  the  narcotic  than  anything  else. 

"  Will  your  worship  breakfast  here  ?  " 

"  No — but  before  doing  anything,  go  to  the  room  where 
I  was  last  evening,  and  bring  me  the  letter  you  will  find 
under  the  cushions  of  the  couch  there." 

"  Excellency  ! "  and  Jacopo  left  the  room. 

I  now  for  the  first  time  observed  a  bouquet  of  red  and 
white  roses,  whose  fragrance  filled  the  chamber.  I  had 
been  conscious  of  their  perfume  before,  but  thought  the 
scent  was  borne  in  by  the  breeze  from  the  garden  outside. 
Whilst  I  was  admiring  the  flowers,  Jacopo  returned. 

"  The  letter." 

"  Is  not  there,  signore,  I  have  searched  carefully." 

It  was  a  disappointment,  but  I  said  nothing,  having 
determined  to  see  for  myself.  As  Jacopo  assisted  me  to 
dress,  I  enquired  to  whom  I  was  indebted  for  the  flow- 
ers. 

"  I  cannot  say,  excellency ;  they  were  here  when  I  came 


THE  PAVILION  OF  TREMOUILLE.  273 

this  morning.  Possibly  the  Signor  de  St.  Armande,  who 
was  with  your  worship  all  night." 

«  All  night ! " 

"  Signore." 

I  could  not  help  being  touched  by  this  proof  of  devo- 
tion, and  when  I  had  dressed  went  down,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  finding  my  letter,  and  thanking  the  chevalier  for 
his  kindness.  I  was,  I  saw,  still  a  little  weak,  but  a  few 
hours'  rest  would  make  me  fit  for  action,  and  I  could  not 
help  thinking  I  had  been  made  much  over,  on  too  small  an 
occasion.  St.  Armande  was  in  the  room  where  I  had  left 
the  letter,  and  at  the  first  glance  I  saw  he  was  haggard  and 
worn,  with  dark  circles  under  his  eyes,  eyes  which  many  a 
beauty  would  have  been  proud  to  own.  He  seemed  so  slim, 
so  small  and  delicate,  as  he  came  to  meet  me,  that  my  heart 
began  to  misgive  me  again,  as  to  his  powers  to  endure  the 
labour  involved  in  the  difficult  adventure  we  had  before  us. 
He  was  much  concerned  at  my  having  risen,  made  many 
enquiries  about  my  condition,  and  put  aside  my  thanks. 

"  Per  Bacco !  chevalier,"  I  said,  "  you  look  more  of  an 
invalid  than  I.  I  fear  me,  I  shall  have  to  be  nurse  in  my 
turn." 

"  It  is  but  a  touch  of  the  megrims,  I  have ;  but  you 
must  not  think  of  doing  anything  for  a  week." 

"  Or  a  month,  or  a  year,"  I  gibed,  as  I  turned  over  the 
cushions  of  the  couch,  and  in  answer  to  St.  Armande's  en- 
quiring look,  went  on,  "  The  letter  I  received  yesterday — I 
am  certain  I  left  it  here." 

He  came  forward  to  help  me,  but  with  no  avail. 

"  It  must  have  been  blown  away,"  he  said. 

"  But  I  put  it  under  the  cushions  ! " 

"  True — but  you  forget  you  were  moved,  and  the  things 
were  shifted.  Come  to  breakfast  now,  and  I  will  have  a 
thorough  search  made  afterwards." 


274  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

"  Not  yet ;  I  will  but  step  over  to  the  convent,  and  en- 
quire after  the  Lady  Angiola " 

"  What !     With  a  bandaged  face  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  wound,"  I  answered  coldly,  and  turning,  went 
out  of  the  villa.  My  lackey  ran  forward  to  enquire  if  a 
horse  should  be  made  ready  ;  but  thinking  the  walk  would 
do  me  good,  I  declined.  I  was  right  in  this,  the  fresh  air 
acted  as  a  tonic,  and  when  I  reached  the  gates  of  the  con- 
vent, all  the  giddiness  had  passed.  There,  to  my  dismay, 
I  heard  that  Angiola  was  unable  to  leave  her  room,  a  thing 
I  might  have  expected,  and  sending  a  civil  message  I  re- 
traced my  steps,  entering  the  villa  by  a  side  gate,  and 
walking  towards  it  through  a  deserted  portion  of  the  gar- 
den. I  went  leisurely,  stopping  every  now  and  again  to 
admire  the  flowers  and  the  trees.  In  one  of  these  rests, 
whilst  I  idly  gazed  about  me,  my  eye  was  arrested  by  a 
number  of  fragments  of  paper,  that  lay  on  the  green  turf 
at  my  feet.  Yielding  to  an  impulse  I  could  not  control,  I 
stopped  and  picked  up  one  of  the  pieces,  and  saw  in  a  mo- 
ment it  was  a  piece  of  Angiola's  letter  to  me.  I  lost  no 
time  in  collecting  the  remaining  bits  of  the  paper,  and 
carefully  placed  them  in  my  vest  pocket.  Then  I  retraced 
my  steps  to  the  villa. 

As  we  sat  down  to  breakfast,  the  chevalier  explained 
that  he  had  made  a  further  search  for  the  letter,  but  in 
vain. 

"  I  ought  to  have  told  you,"  I  said,  "  I  have  found  it." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  In  the  garden — in  shreds  and  tatters." 

He  became  suddenly  very  silent,  and  so  we  finished  our 
meal.  All  that  day  I  rested,  more  for  the  horses'  sake  tnan 
my  own,  and  be  sure  I  did  not  fail  to  make  frequent  en- 
quiry of  Angiola's  condition,  hearing  each  time  she  was 
better,  and  would  certainly  see  me  on  the  morrow.     Whilst 


THE  PAVILION  OF  TREMOUILLE.  275 

I  lay  resting,  my  mind  was  active.  I  cast  up  the  time  I 
had  left  at  my  disposal.  I  still  had  four  clear  days  to  carry 
out  my  mission,  and  to  make  my  plans  to  intercept  Bozardo. 
But  after  my  adventure  in  Perugia  I  had  need  for  extra 
care,  and  could  not  afford  to  throw  away  an  hour  of  the 
four  days  that  were  left  to  me.  There  were  many  points  to 
think  of.  Bozardo  would  no  doubt  be  strongly  escorted, 
and  if  the  forty  thousand  ducats  he  had  with  him  were 
in  gold,  they  would  be  difficult  to  carry  away,  and  would 
be  a  great  temptation  to  my  men.  I  could  answer  for  Jaco- 
po  and  Bande  Nere ;  of  course  St.  Armande  was  beyond 
suspicion,  my  doubts  of  him  were  at  rest ;  but  for  the 
others?  They  might  or  might  not  yield  to  temptation. 
If  they  did  yield,  affairs  would  be  serious  indeed.  I  delib- 
erated long  and  carefully,  making  up  my  mind  to  adopt  the 
following  course.  Tremouille  was  but  a  few  miles  from 
me.  I  would  see  him,  tell  him  of  the  enterprise  which 
D'Amboise  had  entrusted  to  me,  and  ask  him  to  send  a 
troop,  or  some  trusted  men,  to  whom  I  could  hand  over  the 
money  in  case  I  succeeded.  If  he  could  send  these  men 
on  to  Sassoferrato,  I  meant  to  ambuscade  on  the  banks  of 
the  Misa,  make  my  dash  at  Bozardo  there,  and  if  all  went 
well,  they  could  receive  the  money  in  a  few  hours,  and  re- 
lieve me  of  that  anxiety.  Of  course  Tremouille  might  re- 
fuse to  see  me ;  he  might  even  do  worse ;  but  I  would  give 
him  the  chance  and  accept  the  risk. 

When  I  came  to  think  of  it,  it  was  hardly  possible  that 
he  was  unacquainted  with  the  cardinal's  design,  and  I  could 
form  no  better  plan  than  the  one  I  had  resolved  upon.  I 
would  have  to  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Angiola 
on  the  morrow,  but  the  four  days  gave  me  no  margin.  The 
day's  repose  did  me  much  good,  and,  after  supper,  which 
we  took  about  six  o'clock,  I  ordered  Castor  to  be  saddled. 
St.  Armande  looked  surprised,  but  I  wasted  no  words,  tell- 


276  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

ing  him  briefly  that  I  was  bound  on  business,  and  that  on 
my  return  we  should  have  to  make  an  immediate  start.  I 
refused  all  offer  of  companionship,  and  shortly  after  Castor 
and  I  were  galloping  through  the  glow  of  a  late  sunset  to 
the  camp  of  Tremouille. 

I  skirted  the  shores  of  Trasimene,  the  road  being  easier 
there,  and  as  I  went  on,  could  not  help  wondering  to  myself 
what  manner  of  reception  I  would  have  from  the  duke. 
Good  or  bad,  I  was  determined  to  see  him,  and  I  soon 
caught  sight  of  the  line  of  tents,  cresting  the  hills  that 
overhung  the  defile  where  Hannibal  caught  the  Romans. 
The  tents  were  soon  lost  to  view  in  the  grey  of  the  com- 
ing night.  One  by  one  the  camp  fires  began  to  light  the 
hills ;  the  mist  that  rises  here  after  sundown  enveloped 
me,  and  slackening  speed,  I  let  Castor  pick  his  way 
up  an  ascending  road,  covered  with  loose  stones,  and  cut 
into  ruts  and  fissures.  In  a  while  I  came  to  an  outpost, 
and  at  once  challenged  by  the  sentry,  and  surrounded  by 
the  piquet.  I  explained  that  I  was  from  Rome  to  see  the 
duke,  and  could  not  possibly  give  the  pass  word.  The 
officer  of  the  watch  replied  that  this  was  my  affair,  not  his, 
and  that  I  would  have  to  remain  here  until  the  morning,  or 
until  a  field  officer  inspected  the  posts,  in  which  case  he 
would  take  his  orders.  There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  I 
resigned  myself  to  circumstances,  with  an  impatient  heart. 
So  an  hour  or  two  passed,  which  I  beguiled  by  discourse 
with  the  subaltern,  telling  him  of  Rome ;  he  was  a  cadet  of 
the  house  of  Albani,  and  hearing  petty  items  of  news  in 
return,  the  chief  of  which  was  that  the  Seigneur  de  Bayard 
had  returned  to  the  camp.  Even  as  he  said  this,  we  heard 
the  deep  bay  of  a  hound,  and  I  recognised  Bran's  throat. 

"Per  Bacco!  It  is  Bayard  himself  going  the  grand 
rounds,"  exclaimed  the  subaltern  springing  to  his  feet,  and 
giving  the  order  for  the  men  to  stand  at  attention.     In  a 


THE  PAVILION  OF  TREMOUILLE.  277 

few  minutes  we  heard  the  sound  of  horse's  hoofs,  the  sharp 
clink  of  steel  scabbards,  and  a  half-dozen  horsemen  rode  up. 
As  they  approached,  Castor  neighed  in  recognition  of  his 
twin  brother,  and  an  answering  call  showed  that  Pollux 
knew  the  greeting,  and  gave  it  back.  The  hound  too  came 
up,  and  rising  on  his  hind  feet,  fawned  a  welcome  on  me.  I 
made  myself  known  to  Bayard  at  once. 

"  Cicl !  "  he  said,  "  you  are  the  last  man  I  expected  to 
meet,  and  you  want  to  see  the  duke,  come  with  me  then." 

On  the  way  I  told  him  of  the  success  of  my  attempt  to 
free  Angiola. 

"We  have  just  heard  of  it,"  he  said,  "and  it  has  gone 
far  in  your  favour.  In  fact  Madame  de  la  Tremouille,  who 
is  back  again,  could  speak  of  nothing  else  at  supper  this 
evening.  It  was  a  brave  deed,  and  I  envied  your  luck, 
cavalier." 

I  told  him  of  my  plan,  enquiring  if  he  thought  Tre- 
mouille would  give  me  the  assistance  I  wanted,  pointing  out 
that  the  movement  of  any  troops,  where  I  wanted  the  de- 
tachment to  go,  could  not  possibly  be  taken  as  a  breach  of 
the  truce. 

"  As  for  the  truce,"  he  made  answer,  "  it  is  in  the  air. 
The  king  has  really  left  Macon  at  last.  It  is  said  that  the 
advance  guard  under  the  Seneschal  of  Beaugaire  has  already 
crossed  the  Ombrone.  Tremouille  cannot  possibly  refuse, 
and  here  we  are." 

We  pulled  up  at  the  entrance  to  a  large  pavilion,  out  of 
whose  open  door  a  broad  band  of  light  streamed  into  the 
night. 

"Follow  me,"  said  Bayard,  and  I  did  so,  the  guards 
saluting  respectfully  as  we  entered. 

I  had  not  time  to  look  about  me,  but  saw  that  Tre- 
mouille, who  was  in  his  armour,  was  pacing  up  and  down 
the  tent,  with  his  limping  gait,  and  dictating  a  despatch  to 


278         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

his  secretary.  He  stopped  short  in  his  walk,  and  greeting 
Bayard  cheerfully,  looked  at  me  with  a  grave  surprise. 

"  This  is  M.  di  Savelli,"  said  Bayard,  "  he  has  business 
of  such  importance  with  your  excellency,  that  I  have  taken 
it  upon  myself  to  bring  him  here." 

The  duke  glanced  at  me  keenly,  the  thin  lines  of  his 
lips  closing  together. 

"  Are  you  aware  of  the  risk  you  run  by  coming  to  my 
camp  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am  perfectly  aware,  your  excellency,  but " 

"  You  must  either  be  a  fool,  or  a  very  brave  man,"  he 
interrupted. 

"  I  lay  claim  to  neither  honour,  my  lord,  and  I  take  the 
risk  :   will  you  hear  me  ?  " 

He  nodded,  and  I  laid  my  proposal  before  him.  When 
I  had  finished  his  face  expressed  approval. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  "  I  will  detach  Hawkwood.  If  you 
succeed,  hand  the  money  over  to  him." 

"  I  understand,  my  lord,"  and  bowing  I  retired.  As  I 
reached  the  door  of  the  pavilion,  I  heard  the  duke's  voice 
again : 

"  M.  di  Savelli." 

"  My  lord,"  and  I  faced  him. 

"  Succeed  in  this,  and  count  me  as  a  friend.  I  give  you 
the  word  of  Tremouille." 

"I  thank  your  excellency,"  and  turning  again  I  went 
forth.     Bayard  followed  me  out. 

"  I  have  half  a  mind  to  ask  you  to  let  me  share  your  ad- 
venture," he  said,  "  I  am  afraid,  however,  they  will  not 
allow  me  to  go.  At  any  rate  I  will  ride  back  to  the  out- 
posts with  you  —  down,  Bran,"  and  he  swung  into  the 
saddle. 

When  I  shook  hands  with  Bayard  on  parting  from  him, 
his  last  speech  was — "  Be  careful,  cavaliere,  for  Tremouillo 


THE  PAVILION  OP  TREMOUILLE.  279 

is  a  man  of  his  word — if  you  fail,  however,  remember  the 
game  is  not  yet  lost — good-bye,  and  good  luck." 

I  turned  Castor's  head  towards  the  convent,  and  leaving 
the  camp  fires  behind  me,  went  on  through  the  darkness. 
It  was  midnight  when  I  reached  the  villa.  Those  tough  old 
soldiers  Jacopo  and  Bande  Nere  were  on  the  watch.  Every- 
thing was  ready  ;  and  after  sharing  a  skin  of  wine  all  round, 
we  rode  out — shadowy  figures  through  the  mist,  now  faintly 
lit  up  by  a  young  moon,  whose  thin  crescent  lay  quietly  in 
the  sky.  I  looked  back  at  the  walls  of  the  convent ;  from 
a  window  of  an  upper  chamber  a  light  was  shining.  Per- 
haps it  was  hers !  And  I  bent  down  my  head  in  a  silent 
prayer,  for  God's  help  in  my  fight  back  to  honour. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

TOO    DEARLY    BOUGHT. 

About  a  mile  from  Arcevia,  the  road  from  Sinigaglia 
to  Rome,  begins  to  ascend  the  oak-shrouded  hills  whence 
the  Misa  has  its  source,  passes  Sassoferrato,  and  then,  turn- 
ing due  south,  goes  on  for  some  nine  miles  over  the  moun- 
tains.    At  the  point  where  this  road,  up  to  now  following 
the  banks  of  the  Misa,  and  advancing  in  a  gentle  slope,  be- 
gins the  somewhat  abrupt  ascent  of  the  outer  chain  of  the 
Pennine  Alps,  on  a  high  overhanging  rock,  covered  with 
twisted  and  gnarled  oaks,  stood  a  ruined  and  deserted  castle. 
It  was  of  the  eleventh  century,  and  originally  belonged  to 
the  Malatesta,  whose  battered  and  defaced  scutcheon  frowned 
over  the  half-falling  arch  of  the  gate.    Now  it  was  ownerless, 
but  there  were  tenants  there,  for  the  falcon  had  made  her 
eyrie  in  its  rocks,  in  the  crannies  of  the  falling  towers  were 
numberless  nests  of  swallows,  on  the  ruined  debris  of  the 
walls  the  little  red  lizard  basked  in  the  sunlight,  and,  when 
the  night  came,  the  melancholy  hoot  of  the  owl  was  heard, 
and  tawny  fox,  and  grey  wild  cat,  stole  forth  on  plundering 
quests,  from  their  secure  retreats  amidst  the  thorn,  the  wild 
serpythum,  and   the   fragments   of   the   overthrown   outer 
wall,  which  afforded  these  bandits  of  nature  so  safe  a  hid- 
ing place. 

For  once,  however,  for  many  years,  the  castle  was  again 
occupied  by  man.     There  were  a  dozen  good  horses  under 

280 


TOO  DEARLY  BOUGHT.  281 

the  lee  of  the  north  wall  which  still  stood  intact,  and  in  the 
great  hall,  part  of  whose  roof  lay  open  to  the  sky,  a  fire  of 
oak-logs  was  burning,  whilst  around  it  were  gathered  Jacopo 
and  my  men,  cracking  jokes,  and  finding  the  bottom  of  a 
wine  skin.  In  a  smaller  chamber,  a  little  to  the  right,  I  sat 
with  St.  Armande  and  the  abbe.  We,  that  is  the  chevalier 
and  myself,  had  been  dicing  a  little  together  to  kill  time, 
the  abbe  improving  the  occasion  by  reading  from  his  Brevi- 
ary. We  had  now  been  here  for  three  days,  on  the  watch 
for  Bozardo's  party,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  them.  They 
had  certainly  not  gone  on,  for  we  had  carefully  enquired, 
and  were  doubtless  detained  by  some  reason,  of  which  we 
knew  not  the  details.  In  order  not  to  be  taken  by  surprise, 
I  had  sent  Bande  Nere  on  to  scout,  with  instructions  to 
come  back  with  a  free  rein,  the  instant  he  had  news  of  the 
party.  Two  days  had  passed  since  he  went,  there  was  no 
sign  of  him,  and  I  was  beginning  to  feel  a  little  anxious. 

"  Diavolo  !  "  I  exclaimed,  "  I  am  getting  sick  of  sitting 
like  a  vulture  on  a  rock  here.  I  wish  Monsignore  Bozardo 
would  hasten  his  steps." 

The  abbe  looked  up  in  a  mild  surprise,  and  St.  Armande 
put  in  gently — "  The  compulsory  rest  has  done  your  wound 
good  at  any  rate." 

"  I  fancy,  chevalier,  I  owe  more  thanks  to  your  skilful 
doctoring  than  to  the  rest.  Per  Bacco  !  But  I  think  I 
shall  carry  those  claw  marks  to  my  grave." 

"  What  one  carries  to  the  grave  does  not  matter,"  said 
the  abbe,  "  it  is  what  one  carries  beyond  the  grave  that  the 
signor'  cavaliere  should  think  of." 

"  True,  reverend  sir,  1  trust  I  may  ever  remember  that," 

and   rising,  I   put  my  hand  on   St.  Armande's   shoulder, 

"  come,  chevalier,  I   go   to   take   a  turn  outside,  will  you 

join  me  ?  " 

He  rose  with  pleasure  on  his  face.     On  our  way  out  we 
VJ 


282  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

passed  through  the  great  hall,  and  listened  for  a  moment  to 
Jacopo,  who  in  a  tuneful  voice  was  singing  a  Tuscan  love 
song.  So  absorbed  was  he  and  his  audience,  that  they  did 
not  observe  us,  nor  did  our  footfalls  attract  any  attention  as 
we  passed  out  into  the  open  air. 

The  moon  was  still  young  enough  for  all  the  stars  to  be 
visible,  and  leaning  over  the  ruined  battlements  we  looked 
out  into  the  night.  Far  below  us  we  heard  the  river,  mur- 
muring onwards  towards  the  sea,  behind  us  the  castle  stood 
grim  and  silent,  a  red  light  showing  from  the  windows  of 
the  hall,  through  which  we  could  catch  the  lilting  chorus  to 
Jacopo's  song. 

For  a  time  neither  of  us  spoke,  and  then  to  make  some 
conversation  I  turned  to  my  companion. 

"  Who  is  that  abbe,  chevalier,  who  accompanies  you 
everywhere  ?    Not  a  tutor  surely  ?  " 

"  In  a  way — yes,"  he  answered,  "  he  was  born  and 
brought  up  on  our  estates,  and  is  a  faithful  servant  of  our 
house — you  must  know,"  he  went  on,  "  that  in  Picardy,  the 
name  of  St.  Armande  is  honoured  as  that  of  the  king.  I 
would  trust  Carillon  with  more  than  my  life ;  my  honour, 
if  need  be ;  for  he  and  his  fathers  have  served  us  more  faith- 
fully I  fear  than  we  have  served  France." 

"  Not  more  faithfully  than  you  mean  to  though — eh,  St. 
Armande  ? " 

"  If  I  live,"  was  the  reply,  as  he  made  a  slight  gesture,  a 
movement  of  the  head  that  brought  back  to  me  the  shadowy 
memory  I  was  always  trying  to  grasp. 

"  Live — why  of  course  you  will  live,"  I  answered. 

"  I  shall  not  see  the  sun  set  to-morrow." 

I  looked  at  him  blankly  for  a  moment.  Moon  and  stars 
were  sufficient  to  light  his  face,  so  that  I  could  see  the  sad, 
far-away  eyes,  eyes  more  fit  for  a  saint  than  a  soldier. 

"Animo  !    Do  not  talk  like  that.     It  is  nonsense,"  but 


TOO  DEARLY  BOUGHT.  283 

I  felt  a  foreboding  myself  that  I  could  not  account  for,  and 
it  chilled  me. 

"  It  is  not  nonsense,"  he  said  in  his  dreamy  voice,  and 
then,  as  if  rousing  suddenly,  "  Cavaliere — di  Savelli — I  want 
you  to  promise  me  one  thing.  Do  not  hesitate ;  but  prom- 
ise. It  is  about  myself  I  ask — will  you?"  and  he  held  me 
by  the  arm  with  his  slight  fingers  that  I  felt  were  shaking. 
To  soothe  him  I  answered  gravely,  "  I  promise." 

"  I  know  that  I  will  not  live  beyond  to-morrow.  When 
I  die,  bury  me  as  I  am — here — here  in  this  ruin — and — and 
you  will  not  forget  me,  will  you  ?  " 

As  he  said  this  his  voice  took  a  cadence,  his  face  took 
an  expression  that  suddenly  brought  back  a  hundred  old 
memories,  no  longer  vague  and  misty,  but  clear  and  distinct. 
In  a  moment  the  scales  fell  from  my  eyes,  and  I  saw.  I 
seemed  to  be  once  more  hawking  on  the  banks  of  the 
Chiana  with  madame,  I  was  once  more  in  the  aisles  of  the 
church  at  Arezzo,  treading  down  temptation,  and  bidding 
farewell  to  a  woman  who  was  trying  to  be  strong. 

"  God  in  heaven  !  "  I  gasped  to  myself  as  I  leaned  back 
against  the  parapet,  and  drew  my  hand  across  my  forehead, 
as  if  to  wake  myself  from  a  dream.  St.  Armande  did  not 
notice  my  exclamation,  he  did  not  even  observe  my  move- 
ment.    His  own  excitement  carried  him  away. 

"  Promise,"  he  said,  and  shook  my  arm  in  his  earnest 
entreaty. 

"  As  there  is  a  God  above  me  I  promise." 

"  I  believe  you,"  he  said  simply,  "  and  now  I  am  going 
in." 

I  made  no  offer  to  bear  him  company,  and  his  slight 
figure  drifted  into  the  moonlight.  I  saw  it  clearly  again, 
making  a  dark  bar  against  the  red  glare  in  the  open  door  of 
the  hall,  and  then  vanished  from  view.  I  was  utterly  thun- 
derstruck by  the  discovery  I  had  made.    A  hundred  actions, 


284  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

a  hundred  tricks  of  gesture,  of  speech,  of  manner,  should 
have  disclosed  St.  Armande's  identity  to  me.  Now  I  knew 
it,  it  was  all  so  simple  and  clear,  that  I  wondered  at  my 
denseness  in  not  having  guessed  through  the  disguise  before. 
Now  that  I  had  discovered  it  however,  now  that  my  blind- 
ness was  cured,  what  was  I  to  do  ?  I  resolved  on  keeping 
the  secret  I  had  probed,  and  never  once  letting  St.  Armande 
know  he  was  other  than  what  he  pretended  to  be.  A  great 
pity  came  up  in  my  heart,  for  there  was  a  time  when  I 
almost  thought  I  loved  this  woman,  and  it  required  little 
conceit  to  see,  after  what  had  happened,  that  madame  was 
prepared  to  make  almost  any  sacrifice  for  my  sake.  I  was 
sorry,  more  sorry  than  I  can  tell,  for  I  knew  my  own  hands 
were  not  clean  in  this  matter,  and  I  paced  up  and  down, 
fliuging  bitter  reproaches  at  myself,  and  utterly  at  a  loss  to 
plan  out  some  way  of  escaping  from  the  difficulty  in  which 
I  was  placed.  I  made  up  my  mind  that  St.  Armande,  as  I 
will  still  speak  of  the  disguised  chevalier,  should  be  placed 
in  no  danger,  resolving  that  as  soon  as  the  affair  on  which 
we  were  engaged  was  over,  that  I  would  send  him,  or  rather 
her,  with  a  message  to  the  cardinal,  and  the  message  was  to 
be  one  that,  I  hoped  and  trusted,  would  have  the  effect  of 
making  madame  cease  her  foolish  prank — I  had  it  at  this 
moment  almost  in  my  heart  to  be  angry  with  her ;  but  I 
could  not,  for  the  small  voice  that  kept  whispering  to 
me — 

"  Thou  art  not  free  from  blame."  I  was  not ;  but  noth- 
ing would  induce  me  to  add  another  wrong  to  the  one  I  had 
committed.  That  in  itself  was  sufficient  to  haunt  me  to  the 
grave,  and  I  shivered  as  I  thought  of  the  abbe's  words,  "  It 
is  what  one  carries  beyond  the  grave  that  the  Signor  Cava- 
liere  should  think  of." 

So  alternately  reproaching  myself,  and  praying  for  aid, 
prayers  that  brought  no  relief,  I  passed  the  night,  and  in 


TOO  DEARLY   BOUGHT.  285 

the  small  hours  of  the  morning  stole  back  into  the  castle. 
Round  the  fire  in  the  great  hall,  the  figures  of  my  followers 
were  stretched,  all  but  one,  who  kept  watch,  but  recognising 
me  did  not  challenge.  I  passed  by  softly,  and  entered  the 
other  room.  The  abbe  had  dropped  asleep  over  his  breviary, 
the  lamp  burning  low  beside  him. 

Rolled  in  a  cloak,  and  half  reclining  against  a  saddle,  St. 
Armande  was  in  a  profound  slumber.  I  took  the  lamp  in 
my  hand,  and  holding  it  aloft,  surveyed  the  sleeping  figure. 
A  last  hope  had  come  to  my  mind  that  I  was  mistaken,  that 
perhaps  I  was  jumping  too  quickly  to  conclusions.  But  no, 
there  was  not  a  doubt  of  it.  There  could  be  no  mistaking 
that  fair  face  with  its  delicate  features,  the  straight  nose, 
the  curved  bow  of  the  lips,  half  hidden  under  its  disguise, 
the  small  shapely  head  with  its  natural  curls  of  short  golden 
hair — oh  !  I  knew  all  these  too  well.  It  was  Doris  d'En- 
trangues  without  shadow  of  doubt,  and  no  blind  beggar, 
who  groped  his  way  through  a  life-long  darkness,  was  blinder 
than  I  had  been.  I  set  down  the  lamp  softly,  and  with  a 
sick  heart  stepped  back  into  the  hall,  where  I  found  room 
for  myself  until  the  morning,  which  indeed  it  was  already. 
With  the  sunrise,  I  was  awakened  from  a  fitful  sleep  by 
hearing  Bande  Nere's  voice. 

"  What  news  ?  "  I  asked  as  I  drew  the  old  soldier  aside. 

"  I  have  been  as  far  as  Sinigaglia,  excellency,  and  all 
goes  well.  The  party  left  Sinigaglia  the  morning  I  arrived, 
\  and  I  followed  in  their  track,  letting  them  keep  well  ahead 
of  me  to  avoid  suspicion.  Last  night,  however,  T  passed 
them.  They  will  be  here  about  noon,  maybe  a  little  be- 
fore." 

"The  numbers?" 

"  Ten  lances,  excellency,  for  escort.  It  is  those  we  have 
to  deal  with.  Then  there  are  about  a  score  of  mounted 
servants,  four  laden  mules,  and  Monsignore  Bozardo." 


286         THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 


"  Urn!  That  is  rather  strong,  if  the  servants  carry 
weapons." 

"  But  they  march  as  through  a  friendly  country,  signore, 
the  servants  going  on  ahead  to  prepare  for  Monsignore's 
arrival.  He  himself  keeps  close  to  the  mules,  with  one  or 
two  men,  and  of  course  the  escort." 

"  Do  you  know  who  commands  the  escort  ?  " 

"  No,  excellency — I  did  not  wish  to  risk  anything,  and 
asked  no  questions." 

"  You   are   right,   and    have   done  well — here  are  ten 


crowns." 


"  Your  excellency  is  generosity  itself." 

"  It  is  not  more  than  you  deserve.  Go  and  get  some- 
thing to  eat  now,  and  take  as  much  rest  as  you  can  within 
the  next  hour." 

"  Excellency,"  and  Bande  Nere  stepped  back  to  join  his 
fellows,  who  surrounded  him  with  eager  questions,  and 
there  was  a  bustling  and  a  buckling-to  of  arms  and  ar- 
mour. 

When  we  met  a  little  later  my  face  showed  no  signs  of 
my  discovery  to  St.  Armande,  and  whilst  we  breakfasted 
together  I  told  him  that  the  time  was  come  for  which  we 
had  been  waiting. 

"  Remember  your  promise,"  he  said  with  an  affected 
gaiety,  but  his  voice  nearly  broke  down  and  I  saw  the  abbe 
glance  at  him  with  a  deep  compassion. 

"  I  will  not  forget,"  I  answered,  "  but  God  grant  there 
may  be  no  need  to  keep  it." 

"  I  should  say  '  Amen '  to  that,"  he  answered,  "  only  I 
cannot." 

My  plans  were  already  made,  and  as  soon  as  we  had 
breakfasted  we  set  forth  from  the  castle.  The  road,  as  I 
have  already  explained,  ascended  abruptly  a  short  distance 
from  the  base  of  the  rock  on  which  the  castle  was  perched. 


TOO   DEARLY   BOUGHT.  287 

Between  the  base  of  the  rock  and  the  road  was  a  narrow 
but  thick  belt  of  forest,  which  afforded  admirable  conceal- 
ment, and  here  we  posted  ourselves  secure  from  all  view. 
The  abbe  and  St.  Armande  insisted  on  accompanying  us, 
and  in  order  to  put  the  chevalier  from  harm  I  placed  him  a 
little  way  up  the  rock,  with  instructions  to  charge  down  as 
soon  as  he  heard  my  whistle,  which  I  never  intended  to 
blow.  The  abbe  took  his  station  beside  him,  saying  where 
the  chevalier  was  it  was  his  duty  to  be.  St.  Armande  held 
out  a  small  hand  to  me  as  I  was  turning  away,  and  I  took  it 
gently  for  a  moment  in  mine.  The  quick  impulsive  move- 
ment reminded  me  much  of  that  day  when  madame  had 
held  the  flowers  I  gathered  to  her  husband's  face.  Some- 
thing almost  choked  me  as  I  turned  away  hastily,  having 
only  strength  to  repeat  my  warning — 

"  Do  not  move  till  you  hear  my  whistle." 

I  borrowed  an  arquebus  from  one  of  my  men,  and  the 
arrangement  was  that  we  were  to  charge  out  after  a  volley, 
the  first  shot  of  which  1  was  to  fire.  All  being  now  ready, 
it  was  only  necessary  for  us  to  wait.  I  would  merely  add 
that  in  order  to  prevent  discovery  by  the  neighing  of  the 
horses,  we  had  muzzled  ours  as  far  as  possible.  There  was 
now  a  dead  silence,  that  was  only  broken  by  the  rustle  of 
the  leaves  overhead,  an  occasional  crack  amongst  the  dry 
boughs  as  a  squirrel  moved  against  them,  or  the  uneasy 
movement  of  a  horse,  which  caused  a  clink  of  a  chain-bit, 
and  a  straining  sound  made  by  the  leathers  of  the  saddlery, 
that  was  not  in  reality  so  loud  as  it  seemed ;  but  caused 
Jacopo  and  Bande  Nere  to  scowl  fiercely  at  the  unfortunate 
rider,  a  scowl  which  was  only  equalled  by  their  own  stolidly 
impassive  faces,  when  their  own  beasts  sinned.  AVe  had  not 
long  to  wait ;  presently  we  heard  voices  shouting,  the  clat- 
ter of  horses  trotting,  a  rapid  reining  in  at  the  ascent,  and  a 
number  of  followers  and  lackeys,  some  mounted  on  horses, 


288  TnE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

others  on  mules,  with  led  mules  beside  them,  came  past,  and 
went  on,  heedless  of  the  eager  faces  watching  them  through 
the  trees.  One  or  two  of  our  horses  became  so  uneasy  that 
I  was  afraid  of  immediate  discovery,  but  so  occupied  were 
the  knaves  in  babbling  together,  all  at  once,  that  what  with 
this,  and  the  thwacking  of  their  animals,  and  in  some  cases 
the  efforts  to  remain  on,  we  remained  unnoticed.  Then 
there  was  a  short  interval,  and  the  suspense  was  strained  to 
breaking  point.  In  a  while  we  heard  the  firm  beat  of  a 
war-horse's  hoof,  and  our  quarry  came  in  view.  First  came 
Monsignore  Bozardo,  a  tall  thin  man,  wrapped  in  a  purple 
cloak,  with  a  fur  cap  on  his  head.  He  rode  a  strong  am- 
bling mule,  and  by  his  side  was  the  commander  of  the  escort. 
Immediately  behind  were  four  troopers,  then  the  mules  with 
the  ducats,  behind  these  again  six  other  lances,  whilst  the 
rear  was  brought  up  by  half-a-dozen  lackeys,  without  a 
sword  amongst  them.  But  what  struck  me  almost  dumb 
with  surprise  was  that  the  leader  of  the  escort  was  none 
other  than  D'Entrangues  himself.  There  could  be  no  mis- 
take, his  visor  was  up,  and  I  saw  the  sallow  face,  the  long 
red  moustaches,  and  almost  caught  the  cold  glint  of  his 
cruel  eye.  At  last !  I  raised  my  arquebus  and  covered  him. 
At  last !  But  a  touch  of  my  finger  and  the  man  was  dead. 
I  could  not  miss,  my  heart  was  mad  within  me,  but  my 
wrist  as  firm  as  steel.  In  another  moment  he  would  be 
dead,  dead,  and  my  revenge  accomplished.  It  was  already 
in  my  hand.  I  looked  aside  for  a  second  at  the  line  of 
breathless  faces  watching  me,  then  back  again  to  the  muz- 
zle of  my  weapon.  D'Entrangues  was  now  not  twenty 
yards  away.  I  could  scarcely  breathe  as  I  pointed  the  ar- 
quebus at  his  heart.  I  had  already  begun  to  press  the  trig- 
ger, when  something  seemed  to  come  across  my  mind  like 
lightning.  I  saw  in  a  moment  that  lonely  room  in  the  Al- 
bizzi  Palace,  where  I  had  kneeled  to  my  God  and  sworn 


TOO  DEARLY  BOUGHT.  289 

to  put  aside  my  vengeance.  The  weapon  shook  in  my 
grasp. 

"  Fire,  signore,"  whispered  Jacopo  hoarsely. 

With  an  effort  I  jerked  the  muzzle  in  the  air,  and  pulled 
the  trigger.  The  report  was  followed  by  four  others,  and 
two  of  the  troopers  fell.  The  next  moment  we  were  on 
them  with  a  shout,  and  there  was  the  clash  of  steel,  as 
fierce  blows  were  struck  and  received,  now  and  again  a  short 
angry  oath,  and  sometimes  a  cry  of  pain.  I  did  not  want 
to  take  life,  but  a  trooper  came  at  me,  so  I  had  to  run  him 
through  the  heart,  and  the  man  fell  forward  under  Castor's 
hoofs,  with  a  yell  I  shall  never  forget.  The  next  instant 
D'Entrangues  and  I  crossed  blades,  and  whether  he  recog- 
nised me  or  not  I  do  not  know,  but  he  fought  with  a  skill 
and  fierceness  I  have  never  seen  equalled.  At  last  I  lost 
my  temper,  and  cut  savagely  at  him.  He  parried  on  the 
forte  of  his  blade,  but  so  furious  was  the  stroke  that  it  broke 
the  weapon  in  his  hand,  and  almost  unhorsed  him.  Rein- 
ing back  skilfully  he  avoided  another  cut  I  made  at  him, 
and  drawing  a  wheel  lock  pistol  from  his  holster,  fired  it 
straight  at  me.  At  the  Hash,  someone  dashed  between  us. 
I  heard  a  scream  which  froze  the  blood  in  me,  and  a  body 
lurched  forwards  and  fell  to  my  side,  whilst  a  riderless 
horse  plunged  through  the  press,  and  galloped  away.  I 
saw  the  light  of  the  golden  head  as  it  fell,  and  forgetting 
everything,  forgetting  D'Entrangues,  forgetting  all  but 
the  fact  that  a  dreadful  deed  was  done,  I  sprang  down 
from  Castor,  and  raised  St.  Armando  in  my  arms.  As  I  did 
this  a  hoarse  yell  from  my  men  told  me  the  day  was  won  ; 
but  I  had  no  ears  for  this,  no  eyes  for  anything,  except 
the  slight  figure,  which  lay  in  my  arms  gasping  out  its 
life. 

"  Congratulations,  signore,  we  have  taken  the  lot,"  and 
Jacopo,  bleeding  and  dusty,  rode  up  beside  me. 


290         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVBLLI. 

"  At  too  great  a  price,"  I  groaned ;  "  help  me  to  car- 
ry ,"  I  could  say  no  more. 

"  Here,  two  of  you  secure  those  mules — Bande  Nere, 

see  to  the  wounded — Queen  of  Heaven — the  chevalier " 

and  Jacopo,  giving  his  sharp  orders,  sprang  down  beside  me, 
and  together  we  bore  our  unconscious  burden  under  the 
shadow  of  the  oaks.  A  dark  figure  stepped  to  our  side, 
and  kneeling  down  supported  the  lifeless  head  on  his 
arm,  whilst  hot  tears  fell  from  his  eyes,  as  he  prayed  over 
her.     It  was  the  abbe. 

"  How  did  this  happen  ?  "  I  asked,  "  did  I  not  say  you 
were  not  to  move  ?  " 

"  It  was  done  at  once,"  he  answered,  "  I  could  not 
prevent  it — alas!  How  can  I  carry  this  tale  back  to  St. 
Armande  ? " 

"  Water,  excellency." 

Jacopo  had  brought  some  clear  water  in  his  helmet.  I 
thanked  him  with  a  look,  and  he  stepped  back,  leaving  us 
three  together,  two  who  were  living,  and  one  who  was  going 
away. 

I  bathed  the  forehead  and  drawn  lips,  from  which  flowed 
a  thin  stream  of  blood,  and  as  I  did  so  her  eyes  opened,  but 
the  film  of  death  was  on  them. 

"  Di  Savelli — Ugo — ,"  and  she  was  gone. 

Gone  like  a  flash,  flung  swiftly  and  fast  into  eternity, 
struck  down,  perhaps  unwittingly,  by  the  arm  which  should 
have  been  a  shield  to  her.  I  have  often  wondered  if 
D'Entrangues  ever  knew  who  fell  to  his  pistol  shot.  If 
he  did,  God  pity  him!  In  the  one  glimpse  I  caught  of 
his  white  face,  as  he  swung  round  and  rode  off,  I  thought 
I  saw  a  look  of  horror.  But  everything  went  so  quickly, 
that  then  I  had  no  time  to  think,  and  now  I  can  recall  but 
the  end. 

To  her  dead  lips  Carillon  pressed  his  crucifix,  into  her 


TOO  DEARLY   BOUGHT.  291 

dead  ears  he  mumbled  prayers.  I  knelt  tearless,  and  prayer- 
less,  beside  him,  thinking  only  of  the  great  love  that  had 
laid  down  a  life. 

One  by  one  my  men  stole  up,  and  stood  in  a  half  circle, 
leaning  on  the  cross-handles  of  their  swords,  over  which  the 
grim,  bearded  faces  looked  down  on  us  in  pity. 

Suddenly  Carillon  raised  his  crucifix  aloft. 

"  My  Father,"  he  cried,  "  receive  her  soul ! " 

And  someone  said  softly, 

"  Amen ! " 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE   VENGEANCE   OF   CORTE. 

We  buried  our  dead ;  and  madame  slept  beneath  the 
ilex,  in  the  courtyard  of  the  castle,  below  the  north  wall. 
Over  her  nameless  grave  we  raised  a  rude  cross,  and  after 
it  was  done,  Carillon  bade  me  farewell.  He  was  going,  he 
said,  to  bear  the  story  to  St.  Armande,  and  when  he  reached 
it,  I  wit  there  was  sorrow  in  the  Picard  chateau,  whence 
madame  took  her  name.  It  was  with  a  heart  of  lead  that 
I  rode  into  Sassoferrato,  and  there,  as  arranged,  made  over 
my  prize  to  Hawk  wood.  The  tale  of  the  ducats  was  com- 
plete, and  the  Englishman,  giving  me  my  quittance,  held 
out  his  hand,  saying  bluntly — 

"  I  wronged  you,  Di  Savelli ;  but  I  know  now.  We  all 
know,  for  Bayard  has  told  us." 

I  hesitated.  Many  memories  came  to  me,  and  there 
was  bitter  resentment  in  my  soul.  They  had  all  been  too 
ready  to  believe.  They  had  flung  me  forth  as  a  thing  too 
vile  to  touch,  and  now — it  was  an  easy  matter  to  hold  out  a 
hand,  to  say,  "  I  am  sorry,"  to  think  that  a  civil  word  would 
heal  a  hideous  wound.  The  kind  world  was  going  to  forgive 
me,  because  it  had  wronged  me.  Such  as  it  was,  however, 
it  was  the  world,  and  things  had  made  me  a  little  humble. 
After  all,  if  the  positions  were  reversed ;  if  I  stood  in  Hawk- 
wood's  place,  and  he  in  mine,  how  should  I  have  acted  ?  I 
would  not  like  to  say. 

292 


THE  VENGEANCE  OP  CORTE.         293 

"  Come,"  said  Hawkwood,  "  let  the  past  be  covered. 
Come  back — we  want  you." 

"  As  you  will,"  and  I  took  his  grasp ;  "  I  will  come  back 
in  a  little  time.     Till  then  adieu  !  " 

"  Good-bye ! "  and  we  parted. 

Five  minutes  later,  I  was  spurring  to  Eome,  my  follow- 
ing at  my  heels.  It  was,  in  a  manner,  putting  my  neck  on 
the  block,  for  Bozardo  was  probably  making  his  way  thither 
with  all  speed,  and  doubtless  D'Entrangues  as  well.  Recog- 
nition was  almost  certain  ;  but  risk  or  no  risk,  I  was  bound 
to  see  the  cardinal,  and  tell  him  my  task  was  done.  Little 
did  I  think,  however,  as  Castor  bore  me,  with  his  long,  easy 
gallop,  across  the  oak  forests  of  the  Nera,  that  the  face  of 
affairs  in  Rome  had  been  changed  in  an  hour,  and  that,  had 
I  so  wished,  I  might  have,  in  safety,  proclaimed  what  I  had 
done  from  the  very  house-tops.  As  we  came  nearer  the 
city,  it  was  evident  that  there  was  some  great  commotion 
within,  for,  from  every  quarter  pillars  of  dim  smoke  rose  up 
in  spiral  columns,  and  then  spreading  out  like  a  fan  hung 
sullenly  in  the  yellow  of  the  sunset.  It  was  clear  that 
houses  were  burning,  and  swords  were  out.  We  soon  be- 
gan to  meet  parties  of  fugitives,  hurrying  from  the  city, 
and  making  across  country  in  all  directions.  They  avoided 
us  like  the  plague,  and  the  mere  glint  of  our  arms  was 
sufficient  to  make  them  scatter  to  right  and  left,  leav- 
ing such  property  as  they  could  not  bear  with  them,  to 
the  tender  mercies  of  the  road-side.  Some  of  my  men 
were  eager  to  ride  after  the  runaways,  and  question  them ; 
but  I  forbade  this,  knowing  we  should  hear  soon  enough, 
and  that  if  there  were  danger,  it  would  be  best  to  hold  to- 
gether. 

"  Per  Bacco  !  "  and  Jacopo,  riding  up  beside  me,  pointed 
to  a  black  cloud,  which  slowly  rose,  and  settled  above  the 
vineyards   of  the  Pincian  Hill,  "  we  had  best  go  with  a 


294         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

leaden  boot,  excellency.  There  is  a  devil's  carnival  in 
Rome,  or  I  am  foresworn." 

At  this  juncture,  we  turned  an  abrupt  corner  of  the  road, 
coming  upon  a  crowd  of  fugitives,  who  seemed  to  be  run- 
ning forwards,  caring  little  where  they  went,  so  that  they 
put  a  distance  between  them  and  Rome.  Amongst  the 
throng  was  a  figure  I  recognised ;  and  in  a  mean  habit, 
mounted  on  a  mule,  which  was  seized  with  an  obstinate  fit, 
and  refused  to  budge,  although  soundly  thwacked,  I  saw 
the  Cardinal  of  Strigonia.  Bidding  Jacopo  keep  the  men 
together,  I  rode  up  to  him,  and  asked — 

"  Can  I  render  your  eminence  any  aid  ?  " 

His  round  eyes,  starting  out  of  his  head  like  a  runaway 
hare's,  glanced  at  me  in  fear,  and  the  stick  he  bore  dropped 
from  his  hand,  no  doubt  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
mule.  At  first  he  was  unable  to  speak,  for  my  words  seemed 
to  fill  the  man  with  terror,  and  I  had  to  repeat  the  question, 
before  he  stammered  out — 

"  You  are  mistaken,  sir ;  I  am  no  eminence,  but  a  poor 
brother  of  Mount  Carmel,  on  my  way  to  Foligno,  out  of 
this  hell  behind  me,"  and  he  glanced  over  his  shoulder 
towards  Rome. 

"  I  see,"  I  answered  with  a  smile,  "  but  if  the  poor 
brother  of  Mount  Carmel  will  look  more  closely  at  me,  he 
will  see  a  friend.  In  short,  your  eminence,  I  am  Di  Sa- 
velli." 

"  Corpo  di  Bacco  !  I  mean  our  Lady  be  thanked.  And 
so  it  is  you,  cavaliere !  Take  my  advice,  and  turn  your 
horse's  head  to  Foligno.  On  beast !  "  and  he  kicked  at  the 
mule,  which  moved  not  an  inch. 

"  I  am  for  Rome,  your  eminence ;  but  what  has  hap- 
pened?" 

"  Oh,  that  I  had  a  horse ! "  he  groaned.  "  What  has 
happened  ?    Everything  has  happened.     Alexander  is  dead 


THE  VENGEANCE  OF  CORTE.         295 

or  dying.  Cesare  dead,  they  say,  and  burning  in  Hades  by 
this.  Orsini  and  Colonna  at  the  old  game  of  hammer  and 
tongs " 


"  And  the  Cardinal— D'Amboise  ?  " 

"  Safe  enough  I  believe,  as  the  Orsini  hold  the  Borgo, 
and  have  declared  for  France." 

"  Trust  me,  your  reverence,  you  will  be  safer  in  Rome 
than  out  of  it.  The  whole  country  will  rise  at  the  news, 
and  the  habit  of  Mount  Carmel  will  not  save  the  Cardinal 
of  Strigonia.  Turn  back  with  me,  and  I  will  escort  you  to 
the  Palazzo  Corneto." 

To  make  a  short  story,  D'Este  agreed  after  a  little  per- 
suasion, and  the  mule  was  kind  enough  to  amble  back  very 
willingly  to  Rome.  We  placed  his  eminence  in  the  centre 
of  our  troops,  and  went  onwards,  enteriug  the  city  by  the 
Porta  Pinciana,  riding  along  leisurely  in  the  direction  of 
S.  Trinita  di  Monti,  and  thence  straight  on  towards  the 
Ripetta.  It  was  a  work  of  no  little  danger  to  make  this 
last  passage,  for  everywhere  bands  of  plunderers  were  en- 
gaged in  gutting  the  houses,  many  of  which  were  in  flames, 
and  we  continually  came  across  dead  bodies,  or  passed 
houses  from  which  we  heard  shrieks  of  agony.  We  could 
help  no  one.  It  was  all  we  could  do  to  keep  our  own  heads 
on  our  shoulders ;  but  by  dint  of  shouting,  "A  Colonna  !  " 
with  the  Colonna,  and  "Orsini!  Orsini!  "  with  their  rivals, 
and  sometimes  hitting  a  shrewd  blow  or  two,  we  crossed  the 
Ripetta,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  safe  in  the  Palazzo  Cor- 
neto. 

Here  we  were  received  by  Le  Clerc,  who  comforted  the 
trembling  Strigonia,  with  the  assurance  that  an  excellent 
supper  awaited  him,  informing  me,  almost  in  the  same 
breath,  that  D'Amboise  was  in  the  Vatican.  I  lost  no  time 
in  repairing  thither,  which  I  did  on  foot,  accompanied  by 
Jacopo  alone,  and  made  my  way  without  let  or  hindrance 


296         THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

to  the  Torre  Borgia.  Here  everything  was  in  the  wildest 
confusion,  and  the  Spanish  soldiers  of  the  Pope  were  plun- 
dering right  and  left.  I  stumbled  across  De  Leyva,  who, 
with  a  few  men  at  his  back,  was  trying  to  maintain  order. 
He  gladly  accepted  the  offer  of  my  sword,  and  we  did  what 
we  could  to  prevent  the  wholesale  robbery  from  going  on. 
In  a  brief  interval  of  rest,  I  asked, 

"  Do  you  know  where  D'Amboise  is?  " 

"  In  the  Sistine  Chapel,  with  half-a-dozen  others ;  De 
Briconnet  guards  the  entrance." 

"  And  Alexander  ?  " 

"  Dead  or  dying — I  do  not  even  know  where  he  is ;  Don 
Michele  has  seized  as  much  as  he  can,  and  carrying  Cesare 
on  a  litter,  has  escaped  to  Ostia." 

"  Then  Cesare  is  not  dead " 


a 


No.  Cross  of  St.  James !  see  that  ?  "  and  he  pointed 
to  a  reeling  drunken  crowd,  full  with  wine  and  plunder, 
Avho  passed  by  us  with  yells,  into  the  great  reception  rooms. 
Followed  by  the  few  men  who  remained  steady,  De 
Leyva  dashed  after  them,  and  with  Jacopo  at  my  heels,  I 
made  for  the  Sistine  Chapel.  I  reached  the  Scala  Regia, 
and  although  I  knew  the  Sistine  Chapel  was  but  a  few  feet 
distant,  yet,  owing  to  the  darkness  that  prevailed,  I  missed 
the  way,  and  Jacopo  was  of  course  unable  to  help  me. 
Groping  onwards  we  came  to  a  small  door,  and  pushing  it, 
found  it  to  open  easily.  It  led  into  a  narrow,  vaulted  pas- 
sage, where  the  darkness  was  as  if  a  velvet  curtain  of  black 
hung  before  us.  "  I  like  not  the  look  of  this,  excellency," 
said  Jacopo,  as  we  halted  in  front  of  the  door. 

"  Keep  a  drawn  sword,"  I  answered,  "  and  follow  me." 
"We  could  only  go  in  single  file,  and  picked  our  way  with 
the  greatest  care,  our  feet  ringing  on  the  stone  floor.     Ex- 
cept for  this,  the  silence  was  intense,  and  we  could  hear  no 
sound  of  the  devilry  outside.     The  passage  continued,  until 


THE  VENGEANCE  OP  CORTE.         297 

we  almost  began  to  think  it  had  no  end,  but  at  last  the 
darkness  gave  way  to  a  semi-gloom,  and  a  faint  bar  of  light 
gleamed  ahead  of  us.  At  this  we  increased  our  pace,  find- 
ing a  sharp  corner,  a  little  beyond  which  rose  a  winding 
flight  of  stairs,  ending  before  a  half-open  door,  through 
which  the  dim  light  came.  I  put  my  foot  on  the  first  of 
the  steps,  and  was  about  to  ascend,  when  we  were  startled 
by  hearing  a  moan  of  mortal  agony,  followed  by  a  laugh,  so 
wild  and  shrill,  so  exultant,  and  yet  so  full  of  malice,  that 
it  chilled  us  to  the  bone.  It  pealed  through  the  door,  and 
echoed  down  the  passage  behind  us,  until  the  horrid  cadence 
became  fainter  and  fainter,  finally  dying  away  into  the  black 
darkness. 

"  God  save  us ! "  exclaimed  Jacopo,  "  it  is  a  fiend  laugh- 
ing its  way  to  hell." 

He  went  on,  with  chattering  teeth,  to  adjure  me  to  go 
no  further ;  but  crossing  myself,  I  bade  him  be  silent,  and 
stepped  forwards.  Since  that  moan  of  agony,  and  terrible 
laugh  of  triumph,  there  was  no  sound,  and  I  could  almost 
hear  my  heart  beating,  as  I  reached  the  door.  Jacopo  had 
nerved  himself  to  follow  me,  and  stood  pale  and  trembling 
at  my  shoulder,  his  sword  quivering  in  his  shaking  hand. 
I  was  myself  not  free  from  fear,  for  no  man  may  combat 
with  spirits,  but  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  I  looked  cau- 
tiously in.  I  saw  before  me  a  room  of  great  size,  dimly 
lighted  by  two  tall  candles,  burning  on  each  side  of  a  mass- 
ive bedstead,  on  which  lay  a  man  bound,  and  writhing  in 
the  throes  of  death.  The  light,  though  faint  around  the 
room,  fell  full  on  the  face  of  the  man,  and  horribly  as  the 
features  were  changed,  distorted  as  they  were,  I  saw  they 
were  those  of  Alexander,  and  that  he  was  in  his  last  agony, 
alone  and  friendless  in  his  splendid  palace.  Yet  not  alone, 
there  was  another   figure   in  the  room.     As  I  looked,  it 

stepped  out  of  the  gloom  of  the  rich  curtains  at  the  window* 
20 


298  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

and  standing  over  the  bed,  laughed  again,  that  terrible 
laugh  of  devilish  joy.  At  the  sound,  the  dying  man  moaned 
through  his  black,  foam-clothed  lips,  and  Corte,  for  it  was 
he,  bent  over  the  body  and  mocked  him. 

"  Eoderigo  Borgia,  Vicar  of  Christ,  hell  yawns  for  you ; 
but  a  few  moments,  Borgia,  but  a  few  moments  of  life ;  think 
you,  that  you  suffer  now  ?  There  is  more  coming — things  I 
even  cannot  dream  of."  In  the  face  of  Alexander  came  so 
awful  a  look  of  entreaty  that  I  could  bear  it  no  longer.  I 
stepped  into  the  room,  and  putting  my  hand  on  Corte's 
shoulder,  said, 

"  Come,  let  him  die  in  peace." 

He  turned  on  me  with  a  snarl,  but  recognising  me, 
laughed  again. 

"  Ha !  ha !  Let  him  die  in  peace.  Why,  man,  you  saw 
her  die,  and  can  say  this  ?  But  he  is  going  too.  It  is  a 
week  since  his  doctor,  Matthew  Corte,  bled  him  for  an  ague, 
and  touched  him  with  a  little  knife,  just  a  little  pin-prick. 
He  began  to  die  then ;  but  hell  is  not  yet  hot  enough  for 
him.  He  dies  in  too  much  peace.  Why,  my  dog  died  in 
more  agony  !  But  he  has  felt  something.  See  those  torn 
curtains !  See  this  disordered  room !  He  tore  those  cur- 
tains in  his  madness.  He  bit  at  the  wood  of  the  chairs,  he 
howled  like  a  dog  at  the  moon,  and  they  tied  him  here,  and 
left  him.  I  alone  watch.  I  will  let  him  die  in  peace.  Ha ! 
ha !  It  is  good.  I  do  not  want  him  to  die  yet.  I  give  him 
food,  and  he  lives.  In  a  little  while  perhaps  he  will  die. 
But  in  peace  !  ha !  ha !  I  could  almost  die  with  laughter, 
when  I  hear  that.     It  is  too  good  !     Ha !  ha !  " 

I  saw  it  was  hopeless  to  do  anything  with  Corte,  and  the 
Pope  was  beyond  repair.  I  might  have  cut  down  the  mad- 
man, but  it  would  have  served  no  purpose.  For  a  moment 
I  thought  I  would  pass  my  sword  through  the  Borgia,  and 
free  him  from  pain.     It  would  have  been  a  mercy,  but  I 


THE  VENGEANCE  OF  CORTE.        299 

luckily  had  the  sense  to  restrain  myself.  Again,  Alexander 
deserved  his  fate,  and  a  few  minutes  more  or  less  would 
make  no  difference.  So  I  left  the  wretch  to  die  the  death 
of  a  dog,  that  befitted  his  life,  and  turning  on  my  heel,  went 
back  through  the  passage. 

Jacopo  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief  as  we  came  out,  and  I  felt 
a  different  man  as  I  ran  down  the  steps  of  the  Scala  Regia. 
Here  I  met  with  De  Leyva  again,  and  told  him  what  I  had 
seen. 

"The  Camerlengo  has  just  gone  to  him,"  he  answered, 
referring  to  the  Pope,  "  and  you  have  missed  D'Amboise. 
He  has  returned  to  the  Palazzo  Corneto.  I  can  do  nothing 
here,  and  am  going  myself.  Do  you  walk  or  ride?  I  have 
no  horse." 

"  Walk,"  I  answered,  and  the  Spaniard  linked  his  arm 
in  mine,  as,  followed  by  Jacopo,  we  took  our  way  back  to 
the  cardinal's  house. 

On  reaching  I  sought  D'Amboise  at  once.  He  had  heard 
of  my  arrival,  and  was  awaiting  me.  After  a  brief  greeting, 
I  told  him  his  business  was  done,  and  handed  him  the  quit- 
tance I  had  received  from  Hawkwood.  He  was  mightily 
pleased,  as  may  be  imagined.  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  inform 
him  of  the  death  of  St.  Armande,  telling  him  how  it  oc- 
curred, without  in  any  way  disclosing  my  knowledge  of  the 
secret.     He  was  much  affected. 

"  It  is  a  sad  business,"  he  said,  "  but  we  have  other  things 
to  think  of  now.  Mon  Dieu!  monDieu!"  And  to  this 
day  I  am  unaware  if  he  knew  or  not. 

But  the  night  was  not  yet  over,  and  late  as  it  was,  there 
were  yet  things  to  be  done.  About  midnight  we  heard 
that  Alexander  was  dead,  and  a  few  minutes  later  GentiP 
Orsini  hurried  to  the  cardinal.  They  held  a  hasty  council, 
and  De  Briconnet  and  I  were  summoned.  News  had  come 
that  Cesare  had  not  yet  left  Ostia,  that  he  was  too  ill  to 


300  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

travel,  and  D'Amboise  and  Orsini  resolved  on  a  bold  stroke. 
It  was  nothing  less  than  the  capture  of  Borgia.  Orsini 
offered  to  lend  two  hundred  lances  for  the  purpose,  but  a 
leader  was  wanted.  He  could  not  go  himself,  as  his  arch- 
enemy, Fabrizio  Colonna,  held  all  Rome  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Tiber,  and  was  in  sufficient  force  to  make  a  dash  for  the 
Borgo  at  any  moment.  The  short  of  it  was,  that  at  the 
cardinal's  recommendation,  I  received  the  command,  and 
about  two  in  the  morning  set  out  for  Ostia.  If  the  ships 
Cesare  had  hired  had  arrived  the  matter  was  ended,  and  we 
could  do  nothing ;  but  if  not,  there  was  every  chance  of  his 
surrendering  without  a  blow,  as  although  he  had  about  five 
hundred  men  with  him,  they  were  not  to  be  relied  on,  ex- 
cept the  half-dozen  cut-throats  who  formed  his  personal 
guard,  and  who  might  be  trusted  to  fight  to  the  last.  The 
luck  which  had  followed  me  so  far  favoured  me  again,  and 
pressing  on  as  fast  as  our  horses  could  bear  us,  we  came  up 
with  the  fugitives  in  the  early  morning.  Only  one  ship,  too 
small  to  hold  all,  had  come,  and  they  were  crowded  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tiber,  making  every  effort  to  embark.  The 
river-shore  was  strewn  with  the  enormous  quantity  of  baggage 
they  had  with  them,  and  a  scene  of  the  utmost  confusion 
took  place  on  our  arrival.  The  ship  was  drawing  up  to  the 
quay,  and  we  could  see  the  litter  of  the  Borgia,  surrounded 
by  the  few  men  who  meant  to  fight.  The  affair  was  over  in 
five  minutes,  and  Cesare  was  my  prisoner.  Seeing  how 
matters  stood,  the  master  of  the  ship  anchored  in  mid- 
stream, heedless  of  the  yells  and  execrations  of  the  followers 
of  the  Borgia,  who  were  not  spared  by  my  men.  Indeed,  I 
had  great  difficulty  in  keeping  Cesare  from  harm.  He  was 
in  truth  very  ill,  but  was  able  to  gasp  out  as  he  yielded  : — 
"  Maldetto  !  It  is  my  fate.  I  had  prepared  for  every- 
thing except  being  ill."  He  then  lay  back  in  his  litter, 
and  spoke  no  more. 


THE  VENGEANCE  OP  CORTE.         801 

One  short  and  desperate  attempt  was  made  to  rescue 
him.  About  a  dozen  horsemen  charged  right  at  us,  and  for 
a  moment  it  appeared  as  if  they  would  succeed.  But  we 
were  too  strong,  and  although  they  inflicted  severe  loss  on 
us,  killing  Bande  Nere  amongst  others,  they  were  cut  down, 
all  but  one,  who  led  them.  This  man,  seeing  all  was  lost, 
and  determined  not  to  be  taken  himself,  galloped  to  the 
quay,  and  striking  his  spurs  home,  leaped  his  horse  far 
into  the  river,  and  made  for  the  vessel.  The  stream  was 
running  fast  and  strong,  but  the  good  beast,  despite  his 
burden,  struggled  bravely  against  the  flood.  To  relieve  the 
horse,  the  cavalier,  having  torn  off  his  morion,  slipped  from 
the  saddle,  and  with  his  hand  on  the  pommel,  attempted 
manfully  to  swim  beside  the  animal.  The  weight  of  his 
cuirass,  however,  bore  him  down.  Twice  his  head  sank 
below  the  water,  twice  he  rose  again  and  battled  with  the 
flood.  Those  on  the  ship  made  no  effort  to  save  him,  and 
we  on  shore  could  do  nothing.  He  had  now,  fighting  every 
inch  of  his  way,  drifted  astern  of  the  vessel,  and  someone 
flung  a  rope  at  him.  His  hand  reached  out  to  clasp  it,  but 
missed,  and  then  the  under-current  caught  man  and  horse 
and  dragged  them  down.  He  rose  yet  once  again,  his  white 
despairing  face  turned  towards  us,  and  with  a  supreme  effort 
of  hate,  shook  his  clenched  hand  at  me,  and  was  gone. 

So  died  Crepin  D'Entrangues,  the  death  of  a  brave  man, 
unyielding  and  fighting  to  the  last.  The  yellow  Tiber  hissed 
in  white  foam  over  the  spot  where  he  sank.  Perchance 
the  mad  currents  dragged  his  body  down  to  the  slime  of  the 
river-bed,  picked  it  up  again  in  their  swirl,  tossed  it  in  sport 
from  one  to  another,  and  finally  flung  it  to  rot  on  some 
lonely  bank,  where  the  gulls  screamed  above  it,  and  the  foxes 
of  the  Maremma  gnawed  at  the  rusty  armour,  and  snapped 
and  snarled  over  the  white  bones  in  the  moonlight. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CONCERNING   MANY  THINGS. 

Everyone  knows  the  history  of  the  times,  and  it  is 
not  my  intention  to  dilate  on  this,  but  merely  to  set  down, 
without  comment,  those  matters  of  state  in  which  Fortune 
allowed  me  to  play  a  part.  When  Cesare  surrendered  at  Ostia 
the  Borgia  were  broken  for  ever,  and  Valentinois  allowed, 
after  a  short  confinement,  to  escape  to  Spain,  where  he  died 
like  a  soldier.  Now  that  the  game  was  in  their  hands,  the 
allies  began  to  quarrel  amongst  themselves,  the  French 
king  to  drivel  away  his  opportunities  in  gaiety,  and  the 
Venetians  to  step  in,  in  their  Most  Serene  way,  and  claim 
a  share  of  the  spoils  for  the  Lion  of  St.  Mark.  Events 
moved  quickly,  the  genius  of  the  Great  Captain  won  victory 
after  victory  for  Spain,  the  death  of  Francis  Piccolomini 
paved  the  way  for  the  accession  of  Rouvere  to  the  Papacy  as 
Julius  II.,  and  the  Holy  League  was  formed,  by  means  of 
which  the  French  were  finally  driven  from  Italy.  Thus,  in 
a  few  years,  the  work  of  D'Amboise  was  scattered  to  the 
winds,  but  long  before  that  time  I  had  sheathed  my  sword, 
and  concerned  myself  no  more  with  war. 

But  on  the  day  that  I  surrendered  my  prisoner  to 
D'Amboise  and  Orsini,  the  former  already  in  thought  sat  in 
St.  Peter's  Chair,  and  the  latter,  at  the  very  least,  imagined 
himself  the  Lord  of  the  Romagna.  I  sent  forward  couriers, 
with  the  news  of  my  success,  to  the  cardinal,  and  ere  we  reached 

302 


CONCERNING   MANY  THINGS.  303 

Malafede,  met  with  a  return  messenger  from  D'Amboise, 
bearing  a  brief  note  of  congratulation,  and  adding  that 
Colonna  had  made  terms  to  evacuate  the  portions  of  the 
city  he  held.  The  messenger  informed  me,  that  the  Bailly  of 
Caen  had  already  entered  Rome  by  the  Porta  Pia,  and  that, 
finding  himself  between  two  fires,  old  Fabrizi  Colonna  had 
made  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  by  yielding  now,  reserved 
himself  for  another  day.  This  enabled  me  to  go  back  by  an 
easier  route  than  we  had  come,  and  as  we  rode  through  the 
Ostian  Gate,  I  could  not  help  contrasting  my  present  entry 
to  the  day  when  Jacopo  and  I  had  reined  in  our  weary 
steeds  to  let  the  Borgia  pass,  and  give  his  following  the 
road.  At  the  Ponte  S.  Angelo,  I  surrendered  my  prisoner 
to  Orsini  in  person,  and  truly  thought  he  would  have  but  a 
few  hours  more  to  live,  for  GentiP  Virginio  had  a  long 
score  to  settle  with  the  Borgia,  and  a  longer  memory  for  a 
wrong.  The  blood,  too,  of  Paolo,  whom  Cesare  strangled 
at  Sinigaglia,  and  that  of  the  Cardinal  Orsini,  whom  he 
brutally  murdered  in  Rome,  called  aloud  for  vengeance. 
Cesare  himself  seemed  to  be  aware  of  this,  for  whereas  up 
to  now  he  had  remained  in  a  sullen  silence,  he  found  tongue 
to  implore  me,  in  the  most  servile  manner,  not  to  deliver 
him  to  Orsini,  and  when  I  told  him  I  had  no  option,  he 
tried  to  creep  out  of  his  litter,  and  lay  his  cap  at  the  feet  of 
his  enemy.  Orsini  spoke  nothing,  merely  ordering  him  to 
be  borne  to  S.  Angelo ;  but  as  the  Borgia  shrank  back  into 
his  litter,  he  said  with  a  grim  smile  that  he  trusted  the 
duke  would  find  his  entertainment  to  his  liking.  How  it 
happened  that  Cesare  came  off  with  a  whole  skin  I  never 
knew,  but  he  did,  as  I  have  mentioned  above,  and  it  sur- 
passes belief.  He  turned  cur  at  the  last,  and  the  low  blood 
showed  in  him ;  but  he  was  one  of  those  men  who  knew 
how  to  be  thoroughly  bad.  Orsini  took  back  his  lances,  say- 
ing he  had  need  of  them,  so  that  it  was  with  my  own  few 


304  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

men  that  I  reached  the  Palazzo  Corneto.  I  must  except 
Bande  Nere  from  this  number,  and  I  was  truly  sorry  for  his 
death,  for  his  was  an  honest  sword.  The  cardinal  received 
me  in  the  little  chamber  where  we  had  supped  with  Machia- 
velli.  He  had  thrown  aside  his  clerical  habit  and  was  in 
mail,  but  wore  his  barettina  on  his  head.  He  was  more 
than  kind,  congratulating  me  heartily  on  my  success,  going 
so  far  as  to  say  that  by  capturing  Cesare  I  had  given  a  king- 
dom to  France.  I  then  left  him  with  further  assurances  of 
his  goodwill  towards  me,  and  saw  him  no  more  for  the 
day. 

Towards  the  small  hours  of  the  next  morning  I  was 
aroused  from  a  deep  sleep  by  Jacopo.  Starting  up,  I  in- 
quired what  was  astir,  and  was  told  that  Defaure,  the 
page,  was  waiting  to  see  me.  I  gave  orders  for  his  instant 
admission,  and,  on  coming  in,  he  informed  me  that  his  emi- 
nence desired  my  immediate  attendance.  Telling  Jacopo 
to  have  Castor  saddled,  for  I  smelt  work  afoot,  I  flung  my- 
self into  my  clothes,  and  hastened  to  D'Amboise. 

He  had  evidently  not  slept  all  night,  and  was  pacing  the 
room  in  agitation. 

"  St.  Dennis ! "  he  burst  out,  as  I  entered, "  do  you  know 
what  they  have  done  ?  The  king  holds  a  tourney  at  Arezzo 
instead  of  marching  on  at  once.  What  is  worse,  he  has 
granted  an  extension  of  the  truce  to  Spain,  and  Tremouille 
and  the  rest  of  them  are  off  to  the  junkets.  They  are 
making  a  May-day  with  those  ducats  you  captured.  By 
God  !  they  would  dance  away  a  kingdom." 

"  Your  eminence  has  no  doubt  sent  news  of  the  capture 
of  Cesare?" 

"  That  was  only  yesterday,  man,"  he  snapped,  "  and  De 
Briconnet  is  riding  for  his  life  to  the  king.  But  it  is  about 
this  I  sent  for  you,"  he  went  on  rapidly.  "  De  Briconnet 
may  come  to  harm.     Here  are  other  despatches.     Take 


CONCERNING   MANY   THINGS.  305 

them  and  follow  him  ;  overtake  him  if  you  can.  When  can 
you  start  ?  " 

«  Now." 

"  Good — here  are  the  papers.  And  this  for  Tremouille. 
Adieu!"  —  and  he  held  out  his  hand  —  "Monsieur  le 
Compte." 

I  started  a  little  at  the  last  words  which  he  uttered  in 
French,  but  had  no  time  to  ask  for  explanation  or  make  in- 
quiry. I  hurried  to  my  apartments  and  found  Castor  ready. 
Bidding  Jacopo  follow  me  to  Arezzo  with  my  men  as  soon 
as  possible,  I  gave  Castor  the  rein  and  rode  out  of  Rome. 
At  Citta  del  Pieve  I  got  my  first  news  of  De  Briconnet.  At 
Cartona  he  was  but  two  hours  ahead  of  me,  and  when  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  I  reined  in  the  staggering 
Castor  at  the  gates  of  the  Villa  Accolti,  where  the  king  was, 
I  saw  in  the  courtyard  a  dead  horse,  his  sides  still  bleeding 
from  the  spur  marks,  and  judged  that  De  Briconnet  had 
barely  beaten  me  by  a  head  for  all  his  twelve  hours'  start. 
So  once  again  had  I  entered  the  Villa  Accolti !  And  as  I 
sprang  to  the  ground,  loosed  the  girths  over  Castor's  heav- 
ing flanks,  and  resigned  the  reins  to  a  willing  groom  who 
led  the  poor  beast  to  rest,  all  the  past  came  back  to  me  with 
a  vivid  force,  and  I  looked  around,  almost  expecting  to  meet 
again  the  glances  of  scorn  and  contempt,  to  hear  once  more 
the  hisses,  the  mockery,  and  the  foul  reproach  of  that  day. 

The  cardinal  was  right  enough  when  he  said  that  high 
junkets  were  to  be  held.  And  the  day  seemed  to  be  one  of 
merry-making.  Flags  were  flying  from  all  parts  of  the 
villa,  and  the  wide  grounds  were  full  of  the  followers  of 
the  court,  and  the  townsjieople  either  watching,  or  engaged 
in  sports  of  wrestling,  archery,  and  other  games. 

For  the  great  ones,  however,  the  out-of-door  amusement 
of  the  day  came  to  an  end  with  the  dinner-hour,  and  they 
were  now  disporting  themselves  within.     From  the  open 


306         THB  HONOUR  OF  SAVBLLI. 

windows  strains  of  music  floated  out  into  the  sunlight  and 
gay  figures  passed  and  repassed,  or  moved  in  and  out  of  the 
balcony  overhanging  the  grand  entrance  which  seemed, 
from  the  constant  movement  and  the  brilliant  dresses  of 
those  who  crowded  thereon,  to  be  like  a  bed  of  flowers  stir- 
ring in  the  wind.  As  I  came  below  the  balcony,  I  did  not 
dare  to  look  up,  but  with  my  sword  in  the  loop  of  my  arm 
and  my  despatches  clenched  in  my  right  hand,  walked  up 
the  marble  steps. 

"  Post  from  Rome  !     Post  from  the  Lord  Cardinal ! " 

The  sonorous  voice  of  the  ushers  pealed  this  out,  and  I 
found  myself  at  the  entrance  to  the  gallery  leading  to  the 
great  hall  where  I  had  been  tried. 

"  Not  here,  sir — to  the  left."  My  way  was  barred  by  an 
equerry  in  violet  and  gold. 

"  Not  so,  De  Brienne,  the  king  receives  these  despatches 
in  person,"  and  Bayard  had  linked  his  arm  in  mine. 

"  But,  my  lord  ! " 

"  I  take  the  blame,"  and  Bayard,  blazing  in  full  mail, 
led  me  through  the  gallery  whose  sides  were  lined  with 
the  archers  of  the  Scottish  Guard.  Archers  in  name  only 
now,  and  little  as  my  time  was,  I  could  not  forbear  glanc- 
ing at  these  fine  troops,  who,  although  few  in  number,  bore 
an  unequalled  reputation  for  service  in  the  field.  The 
doors  at  the  entrance  to  the  hall,  which  were  guarded  by 
two  gigantic  men-at-arms,  were  opened  only  at  fixed  inter- 
vals to  let  people  in  and  out,  and  by  this  means  an  attempt 
was  made  to  avoid  overcrowding.  There  were  a  consider- 
able number  before  us,  and  having  to  go  slowly,  we  had 
time  to  exchange  a  few  words. 

"  I  suppose  De  Briconnet  has  passed  in  ? "  I  asked, 
"  he  could  only  have  just  arrived,  for  his  horse  lies  dead  at 
the  gates." 

"  I  doubt  it.    All  posts  are  received  by  De  Vesci,  whose 


CONCERNING  MANY  THINGS.  307 

wrath  we  are  going  to  brave.  If  De  Briconnet  came  in 
here  direct,  he  was  probably  stopped  and  sent  to  the  senes- 
chal's apartments." 

"  If  so,  as  he  was  the  first-comer,  he  should  present  the 
despatches,"  I  urged  ;  "  I  bear  but  duplicates  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  time  to  think  of  that  now,"  replied  Bay- 
ard, and  as  he  spoke  the  doors  unfolded,  and  in  a  crash  of 
music  and  the  murmur  of  voices,  above  which  now  and 
again  trilled  a  peal  of  clear  feminine  laughter,  we  entered 
the  hall.  At  first  we  were  unobserved,  for  the  interest  of 
every  one  was  gathered  to  the  centre  of  the  room,  where  to 
the  strains  of  music  a  game  of  chess  was  being  played  with 
living  figures.  The  king  himself  took  part  in  it,  and  I  had 
good  opportunity  of  observing  him.  Time  had  not  changed 
Louis  much,  although  his  reckless  life  had  enfeebled  his 
constitution.  He  had  the  features  of  his  house,  the  wide 
forehead,  the  oval  face,  the  pointed  chin,  below  which  his 
short  brown  beard  was  neatly  trimmed.  His  grey  eyes  were 
set  somewhat  wide  apart,  and  his  hair,  which  was  naturally 
straight,  he  wore  carefully  curled,  in  a  length  that  all  but 
touched  his  shoulders.  He  was  dressed  in  a  tight-fitting 
surcoat  of  green,  with  green  trunk-hose  and  stockings  of 
the  same  colour.  A  short  cloak,  also  of  green,  fell  from 
his  shoulder,  and  below  his  left  knee  was  bound  the  ribbon 
of  the  English  Order  of  the  Garter,  of  which  he  was  very 
proud.  On  his  head  was  a  velvet  cap  lapelled  in  front  and 
on  either  side,  and  alive  with  the  light  of  jewels,  with  which 
it  was  studded.  He  was  playing  king  in  the  game,  Madame 
de  la  Tremouille  acting  as  queen,  and  the  rival  king  was 
Tremouille  himself,  who  had  for  his  partner  Isabel  the 
Good,  the  wife  of  Gonsaga  of  Mantua,  a  princess  distin- 
guished alike  for  her  beauty  and  her  virtue.  A  little  apart 
from  the  players,  and  watching  the  game  with  a  grave  in- 
terest, stood  Etienne  de  Vesci,  the  Seneschal  of  Beaucaire, 


308  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

who  was,  after  the  cardinal,  the  most  powerful  man  in 
France,  and,  indeed,  was  supposed  by  many  to  have  more 
of  the  king's  ear.  Close  by  him  were  a  number  of  ladies, 
and  I  ran  my  eye  amongst  them  and  around  the  hall,  hop- 
ing in  vain  to  catch  sight  of  the  one  face  I  longed  to  see. 
Whilst  so  engaged  De  Vesci  observed  me,  and  seeing  the 
papers  in  my  hand,  made  an  imperious  gesture,  beckoning 
me  towards  him.  This  I  pretended  not  to  observe,  and  the 
seneschal,  biting  his  lip,  edged  his  way  towards  me.  It  was 
easy  to  see  from  my  travelled  and  stained  appearance,  the 
red  on  my  spurs,  and  the  packet  in  my  hand,  that  I  was  the 
bearer  of  news. 

"  Is  not  monsieur  aware,"  he  said  in  a  harsh  voice,  speak- 
ing in  French,  "  that  papers  for  the  king  should  be  brought 
to  me  ?  " 

"  These  are  for  the  king's  hand,"  I  answered. 

"  It  is  enough.  Give  them  to  me,"  and  he  held  forth 
his  hand. 

"  I  have  said,  my  lord,  that  they  are  for  His  Majesty's 
own  hands." 

Bayard,  who  was  watching  the  game  now  drawing  to  a 
close,  turned  round  at  this,  and  grasping  the  matter,  cut  in. 

"  del !  My  Lord,  let  the  cavaliere  deliver  his  packet. 
It  will  come  to  you  soon  enough.  Take  a  holiday  for 
once." 

De  Vesci  frowned,  and  was  about  to  make  a  hot  answer, 
when  there  was  a  sudden  shout  and  a  clapping  of  hands, 
and  Louis,  who  had  won  the  game,  came  forward  leading 
Madame  de  la  Tremouille  in  triumph.  The  last  move  was 
made  but  a  few  feet  from  us,  and  as  the  king  faced  round 
with  his  partner  he  canght  sight  of  our  group  and  called 
out  as  he  advanced — 

"  Victory  !  We  have  won.  Why  those  black  looks,  De 
Vesci  ?     Come  and  congratulate  us." 


CONCERNING  MANY  THINGS.  309 

With  an  effort  the  seneschal  smoothed  his  face,  "  Vic- 
tory always  attends  your  majesty,  and  with  so  fair  a  partner 
defeat  would  be  impossible,"  and  he  bowed  with  a  courtly 
grace ;  but  the  wrinkles  of  his  frown  were  still  on  his  fore- 
head. The  duchess  grew  red  with  pleasure  at  the  compli- 
ment, and  Louis  clapped  his  hands  like  a  boy. 

"  Excellent !  Trust  a  courtier's  lip  for  a  soft  speech  ; " 
and  then,  observing  me,  "  but  what  have  we  here  ?  " 

"  From  Rome,  your  majesty,"  and  dropping  to  my  knee, 
I  presented  my  papers,  which  the  king  took  irresolutely  in 
his  hand. 

"  Diable  I "'  he  exclaimed,  with  an  impatient  gesture, 
"  from  my  lord  cardinal  no  doubt  ? "  And  he  glanced 
at  me. 

"  Your  majesty,  and  of  the  most  vital  import,"  and  I 
rose. 

"  I  must  read  them,  I  suppose.  A  plague  on  the  car- 
dinal !     We  were  just  going  to  the  minuet " 

"  I  will  deal  with  the  matter,  sire.  The  papers  should 
have  come  to  me,"  and  De  Vesci,  saying  this  in  his  harsh, 
grating  voice,  reached  forth  his  hand.  Usually  a  perfect 
master  of  his  temper,  he  had  somehow,  for  once,  let  it  get 
the  better  of  him ;  and  his  closing  words  and  manner  were 
almost  those  of  command.  Louis,  though  a  brave  man,  had 
a  weak  nature  and  a  hasty  temper.  A  temper  that  was 
often  aroused  to  fits  of  obstinacy,  little  short  of  mulish.  He 
caught  the  seneschal's  tone,  and  perhaps  also  the  suppressed 
smile  that  flickered  on  the  faces  of  his  courtiers.  His  fore- 
head darkened,  "  You  mistake,  my  lord,  these  papers  come 
rightly  to  me,"  and  turning  his  back  on  the  seneschal,  he 
tore  open  the  packet. 

De  Vesci  stepped  back,  white  to  the  lips,  and  the  court 
gathered  round  the  king  in  silence.  Seeing  Tremouille  at 
hand,  I  made  bold  to  step  up  to  him,  and  give  him  D'Am- 


310  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

boise's  note.  He  glanced  at  it,  and  turning  to  me  said,  "  I 
gave  my  word,  and  it  shall  be  kept.  The  honour  of  Tre- 
mouille  is  pledged." 

I  was  at  a  loss  to  understand ;  but  had  no  time  to  think, 
for  Louis  suddenly  called  out,  "  Tremouille — Bayard — gen- 
tlemen !     The  Borgia  is  taken  !     Rome  is  ours ! " 

At  once  there  was  a  buzz,  and  a  murmur  of  voices,  in 
eager  congratulation  at  the  glad  tidings.  Standing  alone 
and  apart  from  all,  I  could  barely  see  Louis,  so  closely  did 
the  court  press  around  him;  but  it  seemed  that  Tremouille 
was  urging  something  on  him,  and  the  duchess  too,  for  I 
caught  the  flash  of  the  jewels  on  her  fingers,  as  in  her  eager- 
ness she  laid  them  on  the  king's  arm.  Then  Bayard's  deep 
voice  came  to  me  clearly,  "  If  done,  'twere  well  done  quickly, 
sire." 

I  do  not  exactly  know  how  it  happened ;  but  I  found 
myself  kneeling  before  the  king,  who  stood  above  me,  his 
drawn  sword  in  his  hand. 

"  M.  di  Savelli,"  he  said,  "  one  king  of  France  owed  you 
his  life,  another  all  but  owes  you  a  kingdom.  Wear  again 
your  cross.  It  was  nobly  won.  Take  back  your  knight- 
hood." He  laid  the  blade  gently  on  my  shoulder,  "for 
God,  for  your  King,  for  your  Lady.  Arise,  Sir  Knight ! " 
He  stretched  forth  his  hand  to  aid  me  to  my  feet,  and  I 
stood  up  again,  with  my  honour  white,  in  the  very  hall, 
almost  on  the  very  spot,  whence  I  had  been  cast  out  in 
ignominy  and  shame. 

I  could  not  speak — I  was  choked — my  eyes  were  wet 
with  tears.  Seeing  my  emotion,  Louis  placed  his  hand 
kindly  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Remember,  Di  Savelli,"  he  said,  "  France  needs  you 
yet.     To  the  minuet,  my  lords  and  ladies — to  the  minuet ! " 

And  he  turned  down  the  hall,  not  waiting  for  my  thanks. 
But  friends  sprang  up  everywhere.     The  first  to  give  me 


CONCERNING  MANY  THINGS.  31 1 

her  good  wishes  was  the  Duchesso  de  la  Tremouille,  then 
came  the  duke,  old  Ives  d'Alegres,  and  others  I  can  scarcely 
name.  It  was  whilst  in  their  midst  that  I  saw  a  face  I  knew 
well,  and  Machiavelli  came  up. 

"  Late,  but  not  the  less  warm  in  my  congratulations," 
he  said  ;  "  so  the  good  ship  is  safe  in  port  at  last !  We  owe 
you  too  much  for  speech,  aud  can  never  thank  you  enough." 

"  Your  excellency  is  most  kind.  Is  the  Lady  Angiola 
well?" 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  laughed  to  himself,  as 
if  something  stirred  him.  "  As  well  as  ever  she  was,"  he 
answered  at  length,  and  added,  "  You  must  sup  with  us  this 
evening.  We  lodge  in  the  Borgo  di  San  Vito,  and  never 
mind  your  attire.  My  wife  longs  to  see  you,  and  thank  you 
in  person." 

Other  friends  coming  up,  our  converse  was  brought  to 
an  end,  and  I  managed  to  effect  my  escape,  and  take  refuge 
in  the  pavilion  of  Bayard,  who  insisted  on  my  being  his 
guest.  I  would  have  willingly  foregone  the  supper  at  the 
Borgo  di  San  Vito,  as  I  was  weary ;  but  having  promised, 
borrowed  a  horse  from  my  host,  and  set  out.  I  reached 
the  secretary's  lodging,  punctually  to  the  hour,  and  was  re- 
ceived by  Gian,  who,  after  a  respectful  inquiry  concerning 
my  health,  ushered  me  into  an  apartment,  where,  on  enter- 
ing, I  found  myself  alone.  I  had  to  wait  some  little  time, 
and  wondering  at  the  strangeness  of  my  reception,  I  Avalked 
towards  a  window,  overlooking  the  private  gardens  of  the 
house.  As  I  reached  it,  I  heard  the  rustle  of  trailing  gar- 
ments, and  turning  round  beheld  Angiola  before  me.  She 
came  up  with  outstretched  hands,  and  I  took  them  in  mine, 
and  looked  into  her  eyes.  Then  I  found  words  ;  they  come 
to  every  man  at  the  right  time,  and  I  spoke.  She  made  no 
answer  as  I  pleaded  my  cause,  and  fearing  the  worst,  I 
dropped  her  hands,  with  ;i  bitter  reproach  against  my  age 


312  THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLI. 

and  my  scarred  face.  When  I  had  done  she  remained  still, 
with  her  eyes  down,  and  there  was  a  silence.  Then  she 
looked  up  again. 

"  Di  Savelli,"  and  her  voice  was  very  low,  "  you  say  your 
face  is  scarred  by  wounds.  Do  you  know,  cavaliere,  I  would 
I  were  a  man,  that  I  too  might  bear  wounds  on  my  face, 
and  looking  in  my  mirror,  see  how  they  became  me."  And 
the  rest  concerns  not  anyone. 

We  were  married  before  the  end  of  the  truce,  and  on  my 
wedding  day,  I  received  from  His  Majesty  the  King,  the 
patents  of  the  county  of  Fresnoy,  in  Gruienne,  a  distinction 
that  was  extended  to  me  in  Italy,  by  His  Holiness  Pope 
Pius  III.,  who,  on  my  purchasing  a  portion  of  my  ancestral 
estates  back  from  Amilcar  Chigi,  confirmed  to  me  the  title 
in  my  native  land.  But  the  gift  I  valued  most  of  all,  was  a 
tari  of  Amalfi,  to  which  still  clung  a  shred  of  the  gold  link, 
by  which  it  had  been  attached  to  a  bracelet.  And  this  was 
from  my  wife ! 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MY   LORD,  THE   COUNT. 

Portion  of  a   letter  from   the  Countess   di  Savelli  to  her 
cousin  Vittoria  Ordelaffi  of  Forli. 

It  is,  as  you  know,  gentle  cousin,  six  years  since  my 
lord,  having  lost  his  sword-arm  at  the  storming  of  Santa 
Croce,  retired  to  his  castle  of  Aquila  in  the  Sabine  Moun- 
tains, and  ceased  to  help  further  in  stirring  the  times.  In 
truth,  he  has  yielded  to  my  wish  in  this  matter,  and  although, 
in  the  war  of  the  Holy  League,  he  was  offered  a  command, 
Di  Savelli,  at  my  entreaty,  refused  the  honour. 

The  count,  my  lord,  is  well,  but  his  wounds  troubling 
him  in  the  winter,  he  may  no  longer  follow  the  wolf  in  our 
mountains,  yet  still  hunts  the  stag  in  the  Ciminian  Forests 
of  our  kinsman,  Amilcar  Chigi,  to  whom  we  have  been 
reconciled,  and  whom  we  visit  yearly. 

Last  winter  we  spent  in  France,  at  the  chateau  of  the 
Seigneur  de  Bayard,  which  lies  on  the  Garonne,  and  met 
there,  amongst  others,  Madame  de  la  Tremouille,  who  is 
now  a  widow,  the  Duke  having  died  of  a  tertian  ague  at 
Milan.  There  also  was  a  very  gay  and  noble  gentleman, 
the  Viscompte  de  Briconnet,  who  avers  that  my  lord  owes 
him  a  county  for  having  forestalled  him  in  bearing  to  the 
king  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Borgia.  My  Lord  of 
Bayard,  whom  the  Count  thinks  above  all  men,  visits  us  in 

21  313 


314  THE  HONOUR  OP  SAVELLI. 

the  autumn ;  and,  gentle  cousin,  come  you  too,  for  we  are 
to  have  a  house  full.  The  children  are  well,  and  Ugo 
grows  a  strong  boy,  but  wilful.  He  has  his  father's  features, 
but  my  eyes.  They  have  just  gone  a  riding,  my  lord  on  his 
great  war  horse  Castor,  and  Ugo  on  his  little  white  pony, 
bred  on  our  farm  in  the  Bergamasque.  I  see  them  as  I 
write,  going  down  the  avenue. 

Your  namesake  Vittoria,  sends  you  a  hundred  kisses, 
and  bids  you  come  and  be  heartily  welcome.  I  send  this 
by  a  sure  hand,  that  of  my  lord's  esquire,  Messer  Jacopo 
Jacopi,  a  faithful  servant  and  a  good  sword,  though  his 
tongue  be  ever  wagging.  Give  him  an  answer,  to  say  you 
are  coming. 


THE   END. 


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